MT Magazine January/February 2024

THE DIGITAL MANUFACTURING ISSUE

10

MANUFACTURING MATTERS

ADVOCACY

Global Harmony (at Least for Manufacturing) Digitalization in manufacturing is a worldwide phenomenon and the key ingredient in Industry 4.0. Data, of course, is its critical lifeblood. For digitalization to succeed on a global scale, data normalization is necessary. Standards and protocols need to be harmonized to provide the rulebook and language for devices and systems to communicate effectively, be it across the factory floor or across oceans. They can ensure consistency in data formats, security measures, and overall system architecture. Standards act as the glue holding together the diverse components of Industry 4.0, fostering interoperability, scalability, and security. Industry requires multiple protocols and standards. While there is no one silver bullet, MTConnect offers a strong solution. It is an open, royalty-free standard that provides a semantic vocabulary and information model for manufacturing devices. It is in use in factories all around the world and, as a basic common language model, one of the first you should investigate. For more information, visit MTConnect.org. Calling on Manufacturing Voters This is an important election year, meaning most of the policy work will be done outside Washington. Now is the ideal time to make your case for government initiatives that strengthen manufacturing. The candidates, your elected members, and administration officials are coming to your neighborhood to campaign for your vote. Both parties recognize the critical role of manufacturing technology in economic growth, national security, and global leadership. However, many politicians currently in or running for office need more education to fully understand the impact of their ideas. By using every opportunity to tell your story, you bring focus to the issues that affect your business and industry, such as spending priorities, expiring 2017 tax cuts, advanced manufacturing competitiveness, the workforce deficit, and regulation compliance costs. Of course, any time is a good time to underscore the importance of manufacturing – talk about it, write about it, and take action because you know all about it. Email Amber Thomas at athomas@AMTonline.org if you need assistance with an issue or contacting your officials. INTERNATIONAL

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