Operations, Finance, Quality, and Leadership want and require data in real-time. Having an MES application that connects to AM printers and provides post-process data can help connect the dots for a better understanding of the End-to-End AM process. Another important aspect to Operations and Quality is the need to manage inventory and powder management understanding batch and sieve counts, which may be specified by the Customer but needs to be tracked internally. Everyone wants some type of Continuous Improvement (CI) initiative in their enterprise, but collecting and having reliable data is key to truly understand what needs improving. An MES software can be the right start for such CI initiatives. Lastly, all this information and data provide a means to Track & Trace the End-to-End manufacturing process of the who, what, where of the AM build.
Where is the industry moving towards in respect to MES? How can this data influence our AM colleagues? What can be done to educate the OEM’s per the data needed for AM print evaluations? What do you think?
Learning Objectives:
- Know which stakeholders are involved and what motivates them
- Map out the biggest potential gains and pitfalls of the MES adoption process
- Define potential data sources and gains of using that data