Leveraging Data for a Connected Supply Chain

Today's manufacturing world continues to grow and diversify, and individuals within the industry are working on expanding its horizon. Organizations looking to improve productivity, reduce cost, or build a better mouse trap, are turning to smart manufacturing or Industry 4.0 as a potential way to reach these goals.

What's at the heart of most smart manufacturing techniques? Data. It's the power and the fuel that allows an organization to reach its goal.

To this end, America Makes launched AMNOW in 2019 in collaboration with the National Center for Defense Manufacturing (NCDMM) to establish a robust digital manufacturing supply chain to support Army readiness. The program has since expanded to a range of industries and organizations, with a mission to establish and demonstrate the value of a digitally connected supply chain and the ability to mine data from the manufacturing process.

The program provides value to manufacturers and their customers. For the manufacturer, the availability of process information in real time opens the door for all the benefits expected from smart manufacturing. For the customer, having access to manufacturing process data allows for greater confidence that parts will perform as expected. Further, an organization that can collect and provide manufacturing process data as a deliverable along with its hardware will have a significant market advantage over competitors.

AMNOW interacts directly with members of the supply chain, helping each organization understand the power of data and qualifying what data was already within their reach. The next step is to walk with them into the realm of smart manufacturing. The team accomplishes this by providing each supplier access to an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device designed to gather manufacturing process data from across their production environment.

In past projects, simple speeds and feeds were gathered, but that was just the start. Today, power usage, environment, vibration, chatter, moisture, process temperature, and anything else that could affect outcomes were monitored in real time. Data in hand, the supplier could then store it for interrogation later or deliver that same data as part of a customer deliverable package.

Before interacting with AMNOW, most suppliers thought they were gathering information on their processes. But that activity was either not complete, completed sporadically, and/or kept by a single team member who then became a single point of failure. In addition, there was minimal ability to store and analyze the data, let alone use it to drive efficiencies within the systems. This last part is key, as data must not only be gathered but also made reusable to provide any real value.

Data collection has one other important benefit to an organization that has been repeatedly demonstrated within the AMNOW program: It is a catalyst that can be used to justify change and challenge the notion that "this is the way we have always done it." This challenge can be difficult to overcome, especially when younger engineers and operators are brought into a manufacturing environment. New ideas and a fresh perspective can be supported with hard data to drive transformation even within the most steadfast processes.

After the program demonstrated the ability to gather data on processes, the next step was to validate how it could drive better operational efficiencies. Several suppliers participating in the AMNOW program could quickly leverage the information collected to make simple changes that immediately paid dividends.

For instance, one supplier discovered that the simple act of staggering its tooling replenishment activities on two production lines provided an immediate 15% cost savings. Another organization realized the value of remotely monitoring small liquid bath temperatures instead of positioning an operator within the room during the process. Still another company found value in tracking the weight of a tube filling station remotely and providing that information to the operator; it allowed the operator to adjust the line as needed to ensure accurate and consistent product filling, thus reducing waste and downtime.

Monitoring machines externally is only one way the AMNOW program gathers data. Additive and advanced manufacturing machines automatically produce and collect a mountain of process data. The AMNOW program can help tap into that data store onboard the machines and deliver it to the operator in real time, but this often requires building interfaces between the IIoT edge device and the machine controller. For some machines, the process is as simple as enabling a protocol. Others require the installation of an interface by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). As with all systems, some are more mature than others. Part of the AMNOW program mission is to drive this need back toward the OEM community and push for further interface advancements.

It's also critical that information about successful experiences is gathered to demonstrate the value of the approach, and then shared by those who lived these manufacturing stories and might have had their beliefs in internal processes challenged. And once challenged, the organization must allow these teams to implement the operational efficiencies that may have been alluding them. Here are a few examples of how the AMNOW program has made this possible, each of which provided benefits related to expanded connections, elevating marketing, and enhanced data collection.

Dallas-based Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) is a $4.1 billion global specialty-materials company with a strong, vertically integrated supply chain that can produce alloys, shapes, and finished components able to withstand extreme temperatures, corrosion, and stress.

Combining ATI's advanced manufacturing technology offering with traditional manufacturing and machining processes made the company well suited as an early supplier partner for AMNOW. ATI has been part of the program since September 2020.

Under the program, AMNOW helped ATI engage with new post processors and other supply chain members. This expanded supplier network has given the company increased flexibility to meet customer needs. ATI also has used its participation in AMNOW to promote its capabilities to support DOD needs.

In addition, the AMNOW program provided an IoT device for the automated collection of process data. ATI's experience using the device has promoted interest in how employees can leverage the data internally for better process control and performance. The result is an expected increase in efficiency and a decrease in overall production costs.

An employee-owned company, Penn United Technologies was founded in 1971 as a small tool-and-die shop near Saxonburg, Pa. The company has grown from a one-service shop into a high-tech manufacturing operation with more than 700 employee/owners offering a wide variety of manufacturing solutions. The company has been part of the AMNOW program since February 2020.

Penn United has expanded its material capabilities with two additional aluminum and Inconel alloys, materials the company hadn't used before its involvement in AMNOW. The experience has also paved the way for expanding into titanium.

Penn United had a robust internal additive parameter development process in place before getting involved in AMNOW. Through AMNOW project execution, the company demonstrated and further validated that process.

AMNOW requires process data to be collected as part of a digital deliverable, and therefore provided an IoT device that enables automated data collection. Using this device to more efficiently capture data has helped Penn United better understand its AM process and support improvements in its ability to prevent or correct process issues.

Product Evaluation Systems Inc. (PES) is an independent full-service testing laboratory. Its Latrobe, Pa., laboratory houses mechanical, chemical, nondestructive and metallurgical testing facilities, and a well-equipped machine shop.

The company has been part of the AMNOW program since August 2019, having participated in the pilot supplier assessment process. Since that time, PES has completed more than 2,300 coupon tests in support of both the Participant Integration and Demonstration Projects.

AMNOW gave PES the opportunity to establish new customer-based relations through a publicized article that showcased its testing services on parts that underwent an exemplary United States Army hardware flight test operationWhile adhering to program requirements for effective data handling, PES was introduced to more efficient data management processes and methods. PES has been incorporating these practices to improve its business offerings.

Participation enabled PES to expand beyond traditional services by exercising its full capabilities within a single project. This full-scope execution also provided staff more in-depth exposure to AM part testing.

An educational curriculum, equipment, and support service provider with a 10-person team, Vista AST LLC designs and manufactures fused-filament desktop 3D printers and related technologies specifically for education and workforce development. Combining Vista AST's AM technology offering with experienced support services made the Youngstown, Ohio-based company well suited as an early supplier partner for AMNOW.

Additionally, Vista AST's affiliated company, AST2, is a certified 8a contractor providing services exclusively to the U.S. government. The company has been part of AMNOW since March 2020.

AMNOW allowed Vista AST to establish new relations with a testing and research facility. This expanded supplier network provides Vista AST with increased flexibility to meet customer needs.

Vista AST broadened and optimized its material capabilities with an additional polymer that had not previously been used before involvement in AMNOW. This also led to increased capacity regarding the reporting of raw material specifications.

Participation in the AMNOW program has improved Vista's print quality processes. This includes an elevated understanding of material characteristics with quality control standards for future commercial clients and projects.

For more information on AMNOW and how your company can participate, please call the America Makes Program Team at 330-622-4299 or visit https://www.americamakes.us/amnow-successes; for more information about NCDMM visit https://www.ncdmm.org.

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