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March 2017 • SMT Magazine 29 range of specialist features and equipment that are applicable and necessary in the various as- pects of the operation. Although we may not be confident to al- ways trust the weather report, or the statistics on the "health" of the electronics industry as a whole, factory shop-floor reporting, in most cases, is even worse. With a multitude of choic- es of equipment selection and the human ele- ment of understanding of what might be the best tool for the job, plus the seemingly un- ending marketing efforts from all of the com- panies concerned, it is no surprise that even a modest SMT factory operation features a wide variety of types, vendors, and models of equip- ment. Also, humans are responsible for produc- tion management, performance, quality man- agement, supply chain, and various other dis- ciplines that make up the factory. Each person in his or her role has a different expectation of what they want from data and interoperability on the shop floor. People today in factories are making the transition from being happy to sit and look at the "weather report" to preferring to focus in on the actual detail, cross-referencing it with other data sources from around the factory with "big data" analysis. The core needs of manufacturing management change over time; again, because they are ultimately driven by humans. Com- puterizations such as those mandated by Indus- try 4.0 are today and always will be, created by humans, and so they will change and evolve as time goes by, at different times around the fac- tory. The smart factory is not a static entity, any more than regular production is today. ONE SIZE FITS ALL? The Practical Evolution of Being "Smart" Interoperability is the single most impor- tant common factor in a smart, flexible factory. Data that describes events needs to be reliable and timely. Machines need to be able to com- municate out data related to process and perfor- mance and to get information in about products and work orders, as well as feedback from oth- er machines in the line, whether on a machine- to-machine basis or through a smart computer- ized function. For the deep analysis associated with evolving Industry 4.0 functions, the infor- mation requirement is something that also will evolve. It certainly will not be just a simple set of data like what we got with the development of legacy formats such as CAM-X. The impor- tance of any communication standard is that it is open for use by any and all computerizations, not just a simple, basic dataset where more ad- vanced information is contained in proprietary fields that prevent use by anyone other than the specific machine vendor. Of course, choices for the data format used in a factory will continue to be available. Even the old CAM-X and its intended update from the IPC can work side by side with more open formats such as the Open Manufacturing Lan- guage (OML), by using gateways or adaptors in between. As we said, it is important to use the best tool for the job. If only simple information is required, then many choices will be available. OML, however, will continue to be at the fore- front of manufacturing IoT technology, contin- uously supported by a peer group of end-users and vendors (www.omlcommunity.com), to en- sure that the maximum value and opportunity can be obtained. We need to allow the human element to thrive on the shop floor and contin- ue to define automation and smart Industry 4.0 computerizations that every factory will be us- ing. SMT Michael Ford is senior marketing development manager with Mentor Graphics Corporation Valor division. To read past columns, or to contact Ford, click here. " Each person in his or her role has a different expectation of what they want from data and interoperability on the shop floor. "