Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies (ITAMCO) was recently invited to display their technology products at the Advanced Materials and Composites Grid Cell in Ann Arbor, MI.

On display will be ITAMCO’s MTConnect Glassware app for Google Glass and their iBlue product. The Google Glass application is an award-winning MTConnect Challenge project that gathers and shares machine data provided by MTConnect. iBlue is the first handheld bluetooth transmitter that collects 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’s free of proprietary hardware interface or software.

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 NCMS then asked ITAMCO to participate in the Grid Cell program. 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 non-profit 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. 

“We’re really excited about this concept,” said Joel Neidig, an engineer and leader of the technology product development team at ITAMCO. “It’s 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.”