AWS GovCloud-secure DataXchange machine monitoring for CNC and other manufacturing equipment

Manufacturing integrator Shop Floor Automations (SFA) will showcase the AWS GovCloud-secure Scytec DataXchange machine monitoring solution for highly-regulated industries, including aerospace, defense and pharmaceutical, at FABTECH 2023. FABTECH is North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event and will be held September 11-14 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

For manufacturers adhering to regulations like International Traffic in Arms (ITAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) and other security and compliance requirements, the ability to monitor disparate machines, each with a unique control system and communication protocol with varying ages, can make continuous improvement initiatives challenging in the cloud. There is often limited capability to protect and restrict access to sensitive data, such as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII), while also granting the visibility needed to make timely, data-driven decisions that can impact every aspect of a manufacturer.

The DataXchange solution, available through SFA, resolves these issues by leveraging AWS GovCloud to capture real-time, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) data from a variety of equipment – from lasers and press brakes, to saws and robots – through universal machine connections. Leveraging automated data collection, DataXchange exposes and synthesizes equipment data to give teams full transparency on the shop floor through an architected secure cloud solution for a total smart factory transformation.

DataXchange leverages AWS GovCloud to monitor machine data in aerospace, defense and pharmaceutical manufacturing environments.

DataXchange leverages AWS GovCloud to capture real-time IIoT data from a variety of equipment – from lasers and press brakes, to saws and robots – through universal machine connections.

Results include a 62.5% decrease in machine time as a result of time-saving alerts, reported user MOGAS. The severe service ball valve manufacturer anticipates a full Return on Investment (ROI) within a year of implementing DataXchange.

Manufacturers are invited to stop by the SFA Booth, A3255, at FABTECH 2023 for a complimentary demonstration of the secure DataXchange solution and to explore the entire SFA product portfolio to help resolve the challenges of the modern shop floor.

For sales inquiries, call 619-461-4000 or visit www.shopfloorautomations.com.

 

ABOUT Shop Floor Automations

Founded in 1998, Shop Floor Automations (SFA) is a manufacturing integrator specializing in digitally transformative hardware, software and support solutions to increase the productivity, efficiency and profitability of plant facilities throughout North America. To add intelligent automation to your shop floor for better communication, control and improvement, contact Shop Floor Automations at www.shopfloorautomations.com.

ABOUT FABTECH

North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event heads to Chicago’s McCormick Place in September 2023. FABTECH provides a convenient “one stop shop” venue where you can meet with world-class suppliers, see the latest industry products and developments, and find the tools to improve productivity, increase profits and discover new solutions to all of your metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing needs. For more information, visit fabtechexpo.com.

A close up of a CNC machine tool head at work carving metal. There is text overlaid, showing various machine stats such as speed and blocktype.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

La Mesa, CA – June 1, 2022 – Shop Floor Automations (SFA), a manufacturing integrator serving a variety of industries, will be demonstrating the Scytec DataXchange machine monitoring solution at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2022, one of the world’s preeminent stages for introducing and selling manufacturing equipment and technology as well as connecting the industry’s supply chain.

The DataXchange solution leverages Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology to capture and communicate real-time equipment data to a mobile or desktop user interface.

Manufacturing Integrator SFA at IMTS 2022

Manufacturers are encouraged to visit SFA at Booth 133240 at this year’s IMTS for a free demonstration of the DataXchange machine monitoring software solution.

“By gleaning accurate cycle, setup, idle and down times in an automated fashion, manufacturers are better equipped to facilitate more intelligent decision making across the enterprise,” says Greg Mercurio, President of SFA. “The latest software updates of Microsoft Teams integration and robotic/PLC monitoring capabilities to DataXchange further strengthen the value of this solution for companies already struggling with capacity, labor and integration constraints.”

Manufacturers are encouraged to visit SFA at Booth 133240 at IMTS 2022, McCormick Center, Chicago, IL, September 12-17, 2022 for a free demonstration of the DataXchange solution and to explore the entire SFA product portfolio to help resolve the challenges of the modern shop floor.

From preparing CNC equipment for CMMC 2.0 compliance through DNC networking software to increasing CNC program storage with its USB Connect series, SFA delivers real results to boost the bottom line of manufacturers across a number of industries, including defense, pharmaceutical, aerospace, plastic, and industrial products.

For sales inquiries, call 619-461-4000 or visit www.shopfloorautomations.com.

About Shop Floor Automations

Founded in 1998, Shop Floor Automations (SFA) is a manufacturing integrator specializing in digitally transformative hardware, software and support solutions to increase the productivity, efficiency and profitability of plant facilities throughout North America. To add intelligent automation to your shop floor for better communication, control and improvement, contact Shop Floor Automations at www.shopfloorautomations.com.

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Manufacturing machine monitoring solutions - FABTECH Booth #A3441

Shop Floor Automations to Offer Manufacturing Machine Monitoring and Hardware Solutions to Increase Visibility, Productivity

With its recent announcement that it will be the first large-scale manufacturing trade show to return to McCormick Place in Chicago from September 13-16, FABTECH will once again make Chicago the epicenter of the North American metal fabrication industry. The event brings all aspects of the metal fabricating, forming, welding, and finishing industries together to showcase the technology, innovation, and solutions they provide.

Manufacturing machine monitoring solutions - FABTECH Booth #A3441

Schedule your demonstration of manufacturing machine monitoring solutions at the Shop Floor Automations Booth, #A3441, at FABTECH 2021

Shop Floor Automations (SFA), a manufacturing integrator offering hardware and software solutions to manufacturers and job shops throughout the United States, will be exhibiting the Scytec DataXchange machine monitoring solution at Booth #A3441 at FABTECH this year. This solution allows production environments to capture automated, real-time machine data for increased visibility of accurate cycle times, setup times, idle times, machine downtime and more. For manufacturers struggling to keep pace with demand as the United States recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, machine monitoring solutions, like DataXchange, can be the difference between a company’s ability to take on new work versus not.

In the May 2021 Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®, Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, stated, “Demand expanded, with the (1) New Orders Index growing at a strong level, supported by the New Export Orders Index continuing to expand, (2) Customers’ Inventories Index hitting another all-time low and (3) Backlog of Orders Index continuing at a record-high level.”

“Now, and well into 2022, manufacturers need to be able to make demonstrable impacts to machine uptime automatically to generate greater efficiencies to support existing work while increasing productivity for growth opportunities knocking on the doors of so many,” says Greg Mercurio, SFA President.

FABTECH facilitates connections between exhibitors and attendees in order to conduct business, share knowledge, and showcase the most advanced manufacturing equipment and technology in an unparalleled environment. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore three halls filled with cutting-edge technology, new product debuts, and firsthand product demonstrations from over 1,000 exhibitors.

Attendee and media registration for FABTECH 2021 is open now. Visit fabtechexpo.com to register and obtain additional show details. To schedule a DataXchange demonstration with SFA in advance of the show, contact us at www.shopfloorautomations.com.

A shot of two Haas CNC machines at the Rise Up machine shop, which exists to provide training to future machine techs and former inmates entering back into the world.

When we visited an organization changing lives in nearby Santee CA, we were very affected by what we saw. This is why we wrote about Rise Up for Modern Machine Shop. We were happy to see they have featured the organization on their blog.

From their blog,  regarding Shop Floor Automations’ first visit:

Visitors from the industry are often inspired by what they see and hear at Rise Up, Mr. Greeves says. A good example he cites is a recent visit by Greg Mercurio, president of Shop Floor Automations, a manufacturing integrator based in La Mesa, California.

Mr. Mercurio heard about Rise Up while planning activities to mark his company’s 20th anniversary. “I was looking for a special way to mark this milestone by giving something back to the industry and the community,” he says.

“I was intrigued by the concept behind Rise Up because it touches two key concerns of mine—the skills gap that is holding back U.S. machine shops and the false impression held by many people outside our industry that factories are dark, dirty dungeons.”

CNC Machine PartsMr. Mercurio spent two hours touring the facility and talking to managers as well as trainees currently in the program. “The experience changed my perception,” Mr. Mercurio recalls.

“I thought we could help by simply donating one of the solutions that Shop Floor Automations offers to the machining industry. As it turned out, the Rise Up machine shop wasn’t far enough along in its development to be ready for any of these solutions.” Mr. Mercurio offered a cash donation instead.

We encourage our readers to check out Rise Up by going to their website or calling (619) 457-0790

Need manufacturing productivity? Fill out a contact form or call (877) 611-5825

A close up shot of a podcast microphone in front of a blurred computer screen with audio editing software on it.Shop Floor Automations recently was interviewed by Manufacturing Engineering‘s Editor in Chief Alan Rooks. Our Marketing Coordinator Amanda Rosenblatt was part of the manufacturing automation podcast to talk about our industry.

“What we do is, we are a manufacturing integrator,” Rosenblatt said of the company, which has been open since 1998. The ultimate goal is to increase manufacturing productivity.

“Our customers vary in size and industry,” says the Marketing Coordinator. Examples included automotive, medical and oil industry clients. CNC machine shops, moldmakers, fabrication shops, and a wide variety of manufacturing equipment can be serviced.

Ease of use when using automation, Industry 4.0 and IIoT solutions was also discussed. “It can’t be too technologically prohibitive or people aren’t going to use it. They’re not going to get the benefit of those tools.”

A collage of different shop floor shots, including a shot of a Wireless Connect on a machine, a desk in front of a CNC machine, a machinist holding an SFA sticker in front of a Haas controller, and a machinist working directly with a CNC machine.“Everything we have is really user-friendly. It really depends on what the solution is.”

She continues, “With our hardware, some of it is plug and play, while some of our solutions like our USB Pendant Connect requires about a four hour time commitment to install it.”

Rosenblatt stated a list of training materials via YouTube tutorial videos, brochures, helping customers on site, remote sessions, or programs such as DataXchange ELearning for machine monitoring training.

Automation integration, including DNC Software combined with CAD/CAM Software, was a big focus of the podcast. ” It’s going to organize those programs, it’s going to communicate them to the machines, and it’s going to do that revision control.”

The company’s involvement with the manufacturing social media community was also highlighted. “I know that’s a new concept in our industry, but we like to use that to promote the manufacturing community.” SFA are official MFG Day endorsers and are vocal supporters of Workshops for Warriors and Rise Up Industries.

 Be sure to call SFA for any automation needs at (877) 611-5825 or fill out an online contact form

MFG Day 2018MFG Day is here again. A great time to celebrate the growth of American manufacturing. It is also a time to address the issue of bringing a new generation of workers in the doors.

In the upcoming documentary “Full Circle” from Edge Factor, the film addresses the oncoming “silver tsunami” AKA the previous workforce soon retiring out. The message is clear – keep developing an action plan instead of continually discussing this skills gap.

What are our customers doing to promote our industry? There are different methods we see employed by customers, as well as some interesting colleagues we have made in 2018 that we wanted to share.

A CNC machine with a clip art sign pinned to it that says "Full time operator wanted".“In all the companies I work with, their workforce is in their 50’s,” says Ross Bonacci, Tool & Die Marker at FuelCell Energy in Danbury, Connecticut. “In another ten years, they have no one there to continue the work, so it’s a great opportunity to get a trade.”

“I see these kids leave college and they’re in Starbucks or retail, but I feel like manufacturing is really making a comeback,” Ross said. “It’s a very satisfying career.” Ross also goes above and beyond by working a second job as a CNC machinist course instructor at Henry Abbott Tech in the same town that Fuelcell Energy resides!

Bridging a technological skills gap for older machinery with a solution that can be universally used was one challenge a customer of ours had. “I had to find a quick and easy solution that could be utilized by all team members, regardless of technical ability,” says Randy Glover, Project Manager at Fredon Corporation in Mentor, Ohio. He found our hardware fit the bill, in that it was “very intuitive for some of our more seasoned machinists who are not super tech-savvy.”

One interesting place to mention is Rise Up. The machine shop in Santee CA is an 18-month long program providing reformed ex-prisoners with CNC machine operator training, as well as life skills coaching, work ethics lessons, and other forms of support.

“We tell these guys, they know the stigma that they have attached,” says Machine Shop Manager/Instructor Dustin Greeves at Rise Up. Dustin has been in the manufacturing industry for years and has a lot of insight on the subject. “I tell these guys that they train me as much as I train them.” Keep reading below! 

mfg dayThere are solutions that can be implemented in shops to help ease the skills gap, as well. There is not only hardware from SFA to help replace old media, but there are also many forms of software that can assist. For example. the old-school generation who do hand coding or write out their G-code can use CAD/CAM to transfer their skills to new workers.

“First of all – that’s an art form that we shouldn’t ever lose,” says Ben Mund of MasterCam. “But for the folks who do it, the nice thing about CAD/CAM is you can save off what you have done and the work you have.”

“You can pass that [data] on to future generations,” Ben continues. “So, if you’ve got a specific way you like cutting, you have that as a library you can access and make sure that the people in your shop that you are training up have access to your knowledge and your wisdom as you decide to eventually leave the industry and do something else.”

 How are you helping our industry thrive? Share your stories with SFA on social media. If you need help with productivity, please call (877) 611-5825 

shop floor automationsSam Wilkins, Technical Operations Manager at Shop Floor Automations, has earned a spot in the SME 30 Under 30 List.

We are very proud that Sam made the Honorable Mentions list from this distinctive Society of Manufacturing Engineers lineup for 2018.

Sam’s love of technology began at age 16, when he took up computer systems as a hobby. He first entered the world of manufacturing by machining medical devices in a small shop. He then moved on to facilitating production of several medical product lines while implementing quality control systems. He was responsible for research and development from initial design to final products.

He then moved on to the field of manufacturing integration, where he works with SFA today. Here, he uses his past experiences in manufacturing and his technical skills to find better productivity solutions for manufacturers. He is very familiar with protocols such as MTConnect, Fanuc Focas, and more. Thanks for all of your hard work, Sam!

Other honors bestowed to employees of Shop Floor Automations: Marketing Coordinator Amanda Rosenblatt won the first ever SME manufacturing talent contest in 2017. We are also consistently the #1 Reseller of Predator Software and Scytec DataXchange each year.

Ask us for our insight on integrating manufacturing solutions for your shop floor! Call (877) 611-5825 or fill out a contact form today

shop floor automations blogIn this Legacy Blog, Shop Floor Automations thanks these digital publications for sharing our recent news about DNC software, machine monitoring, hardware, and more:

Manufacturing Tomorrow posted a piece we wrote about return on investment (ROI) for shop floor automation solutions. “A great example of actually showing your ROI comes from one of our customers who had an ROI sheet showing that their company had 30 machines, they ran two programs per day, and they loaded 300 programs per week…they then showed how expensive this older process was where they were using outdated shop floor media to transfer programs and estimated how much time/money would be saved by upgrading to DNC.”

MFG Talk Radio published quite a few of our pieces lately. They shared news of our new technology, the LAN-USB Connect. They also shared a piece where we shared with manufacturers how to approach decision makers with ways to prove automation ROI.

FabShop Magazine hosted SFA in the MFG ETC section once again. OSHA’s Top 10 safety violations in 2017 that apply to the shop floor were explored and how some automation solutions can help address some of these issues for 2018 onward.

In a throwback, Manufacturing Engineering published a blog about managing and collecting shop floor machine data. Within this piece, SFA owner Greg Mercurio was interviewed.

For our latest appearances in manufacturing trade magazines, check out our press page. Otherwise, we would love to start the conversation with you about automation! Call (877) 611-5825 or fill out a contact form.  

Shop Floor Automations NewsletterThis archived issue of the Shop Floor Automations newsletter was first sent to subscribers April 24th of 2018. A brand new way to modernize your RS232 port is featured.

A Place to Belong

There are quite a few organizations out there who are working to close the manufacturing skills gap. They are also teaching a trade to those who not only need the guidance but the steady career path that manufacturing provides.

Shop Floor Automations (SFA) wanted to share with our audience a local organization called Rise Up Industries.

Trainees of the program become machine operators by trade. They are also taught to overcome obstacles from their past to become productive members of society through various life skills classes.

Their motto is “a place to belong” and we were very touched by our visit to their shop recently. We invite you to check out what they are doing over in Santee, CA!

LAN-USB Connect

You have heard it from us before – you can add USB to your CNC of any make, model, and age. You may have also heard we can add Ethernet to your machines. Why not both?

We present to you the LAN-USB Connect. This hardware packs a one-two punch. It’s easy to install, as it connects to your machine’s RS232 port. You can drag and drop files from, and to, your CNC machine memory. Use the Ethernet connection via FTP, and best of all, no special software is required to install and use the device!

For more information, please call (877) 611-5825 or fill out our contact form.

April Fools in Machine Shops & Manufacturing

Machinist pranksAlthough the machinists, engineers and other workers in the manufacturing industry know it is serious business, strong bonds are also created in these workplaces. Naturally, with strong bonds comes some good-natured ribbing.

Here is Top List of prank videos in the manufacturing industry, which includes machine shop April Fools pranks. NOTE: please be aware that some brief, adult language is used in a couple of these videos.

1 – Christmas gift wrap prank, J&E Precison Tool, Inc – While the beginning of the video is a lovely look into the company culture, the rest of the video is where the prank comes in. The guys in this video snuck into their building to wrap office items with paper or stick candy canes where they should not be in the machine shop. The coworkers seem to take it in stride. The video is here.

2 – Birthday prank, Toshiba Machine Company – The boss of the office Keith is pranked in this video for his birthday. He is equally amused yet annoyed. The video is here.

3 – Carbide Drill Troubleshooting Prank, Greene Tool Systems, Inc – The owner of this company Tom loves to be in their YouTube videos to show customers how to use his products. He is not too happy with his workers pranking him, but his reaction is too funny to not share. The video is here. Warning: some adult language used.

4 – Powder bomb, Unknown Machine Shop – The machine shop owner’s son is pranked in this blurry, yet hilarious video. Check it out here.

Honorable Mention – Big Ass Fans. While they don’t necessarily have any prank videos, humor is at the heart of their company. They did a good prank photo for April Fools where they said they were going to start selling a grill, but they also have a lot of other funny social media to check out. Maybe the time they made Valentine’s Day cards, when they made Whoopee Cushions, or the time they made Sir-Mix-A-Lot an employee at their office. They also do “mean tweet” videos and other funny content.

If you feel like your machine productivity is a long-running prank, we can help! Call us at (877) 611-5825 or fill out a contact form so we can get back to you.