The iBlue handheld Bluetooth transmitter is shown with USB-Compatible Micrometer, Hardness Tester Probe and K-Type Thermocouple.
The view through Glass with the MTConnect Glassware app at the ITAMCO facility is shown.
Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies (ITAMCO) has displayed its technology products at the Advanced Materials and Composites Grid Cell in Ann Arbor, MI. ITAMCO's MTConnect Glassware app for Google Glass and its iBlue product were showcased. The Google Glass application is an MTConnect Challenge project that is designed to gather and share machine data provided by MTConnect. According to the company, iBlue is the first handheld Bluetooth transmitter that collects crucial production data and sends it to Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, tablets and computers with iOS, Android, Windows, Blackberry and Linux operating systems. "iBlue can wirelessly transmit temperature readings, metal hardness readings and USB HID input from a keyboard, micrometer, caliper, barcode scanner or any other USB HID-enabled device that is free of proprietary hardware interface or software," said a company spokesperson.
ITAMCO initially presented the two products at the Digital Manufacturing Revolution 2014 conference that was hosted by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS). "The products were so well received that NCMS asked ITAMCO to participate in the Grid Cell program," said the spokesperson. According to the company, a Grid Cell is an innovation center where manufacturers get hands-on experience and training with digital manufacturing tools. Grid Cells were developed by the NCMS, a nonprofit group member-based consortium whose objective is to drive the global competitiveness of North American manufacturers through collaboration, innovation and advanced technologies. "Grid Cells will provide businesses with a virtualized approach to manufacturing that combines high-performance modeling, simulation and analysis (MS&A), data mining tools, and the digitization of processes to optimize speed, reliability and efficiency," said the spokesperson. "In addition to the Michigan Grid Cell, a Structural Safety and Vehicle Crash Analysis Grid Cell has opened at George Mason University in Virginia, and more Grid Cells are expected to open soon."
"We are excited about this concept," said Joel Neidig, an engineer and leader of the Technology Product Development Team at ITAMCO. "It is a great way for machine shop personnel to get hands-on experience with digital technology. I like that you can walk in and Grid Cell staff will show you around and explain the technology on display."
"NCMS approached ITAMCO to be a part of our Grid Cell program because its research and products align with the next generation of manufacturers," said Derek Fulk, Senior Program Manager at NCMS. "Its products access information on the factory floor and that fits with our initiatives to match backbone manufacturers with cutting-edge resources and tools, thereby becoming more effective in today's competitive manufacturing landscape."
For more information contact:
Joel Neidig
ITAMCO
6100 Michigan Road
Plymouth, IN 46563
574-936-2112
jdneidig@itamco.com
www.itamco.com
www.ncms.org