MTConnect Challenge Opens

The first phase of the competition that seeks to engage and stimulate development of advanced manufacturing intelligence applications is open and finalists can win cash prizes.

In April, the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (Blairsville, PA) and the MTConnect Institute announced the start of the first phase of the MT Connect Challenge: Challenge 1, Creating Manufacturing Intelligence.

The MTConnect Challenge is a U.S. Department of Defense – Defense-Wide Manufacturing Science and Technology (DMS&T) ManTech sponsored competition that seeks to engage and stimulate development of advanced manufacturing intelligence applications that utilize the MTConnect standard.

MTConnect is an open, royalty-free set of communications standards intended to foster greater interoperability between manufacturing equipment, devices, and software applications. The announcement was made today at the [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Challenge 1 was open from April 12-May 31, 2013 and sought out ambitious yet achievable ideas that harness innovation and manufacturing intelligence breakthroughs. Winners are to be announced June 21, 2013.

Challenge 2, open July 1, 2013-January 31, 2014, is for software applications that address the objectives of the challenge. Challenge 2 finalists will be announced March 14, 2014, with winners named at the [MC]2 Conference, taking place in April 2014.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

• Benefit to Manufacturing Intelligence: Potential to create achievable and measurable benefit to manufacturing intelligence
• Creativity and Innovation: Advance a breakthrough concept and/or methodology
• Practicality of Concept: Viability, ability to be effectively implemented and deployed in a manufacturing setting
• Impact on Industry: Creation of manufacturing intelligence from differing manufacturing processes, facilities, and types of equipment and devices
• Overall Quality: Adherence to all requirements set forth by the MTConnect Challenge

A wide variety of entrants is encouraged, including developers, manufacturing professionals, students, scientists, educators, and more. Team submissions are also encouraged.

ncdmm.org , mtconnect.challenge.gov