Mentor Graphics Corporation today announced the launch of the Open Manufacturing Language (OML) initiative that directly addresses the longstanding need and urgent calls from the industry for a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly-specific Internet of Manufacturing solution. For the first time, IT teams, solution providers, and equipment providers can easily integrate shop-floor data to create or enhance added-value manufacturing execution solutions based on a single, normalized, vendor-neutral communication interface. This minimizes development and support effort while ensuring optimum data accuracy, timeliness and completeness.
Use of the OML standard supports numerous industry needs and challenges including the practical realization of the Internet of Manufacturing, Industry 4.0 and Smart Factory 1.0 concepts, as well as the automated collection of full traceability data including routing and compliance enforcement.
"The OML standard is a key technology and contributor for the Internet of Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 in PCB assembly. It's our pleasure to work with the OML community," stated Jordan Jiang, President / GM of iEi Integration Corp. "iEi looks forward to involvement with OML to assist with utilization through the offering of quality design and manufacture services. We are excited about seeing OML launched and are looking forward to the business opportunities and benefits that it will undoubtedly bring to the whole industry."
OML creates an operational hierarchy through which neutralized information is exchanged between manufacturing processes. This includes detail of any shop-floor event in the areas of process performance, materials setup and consumption, traceability, process results and parameters, process control (poka-yoke), and quality information from test, inspection and repair processes, both automated and manual. OML resolves numerous issues in automated and manual processes that previous formats could not address.
The OML standard, introduced by Mentor Graphics, is based on more than 15 years of experience in the development of shop-floor interfaces. The standard will be available through an open community on www.OMLcommunity.com. The community will provide support and management of new revisions.
"We are very excited to be among the first members of the OML community," stated Ian Ticehurst, Senior Corporate MIS Manager, Hana Microelectronics Public Co., Ltd. "This initiative is perfectly timed to enable our IT team to put their latest ideas into practice following the principles and potential of the Internet of Manufacturing with a fraction of the effort, cost and lead-time originally required."
"For some time now we have seen and heard the demand for a comprehensive shop-floor communication standard that is detailed enough to support the next generation of computerization such as Industry 4.0 solutions," stated Dan Hoz, General Manager of Mentor Graphics Valor Division. "With this initiative, Valor contributes the first step and sets the pace for the revolution in manufacturing for PCB assembly."
