Cambridgeshire-based Photocentric, the inventor of LCD 3-D printing, has become a partner of umati (universal machine technology interface) to enhance manufacturing connectivity and workflows. The partnership will allow customers to integrate Photocentric devices with MES (manufacturing execution systems) and other facility management systems using standardised interfaces based on OPC Unified Architecture, significantly reducing the upfront effort required to build a robust manufacturing infrastructure.

Doug Finlay, Photocentric lead software developer (pictured), said: “Thanks to the open-source nature of umati along with a rapidly growing community of industry experts, we believe this standardised interface will soon become the go-to for machinery connectivity across all sectors of mechanical engineering. We are excited to see Umati’s notion of a common language support the sharing of machine data between companies to encourage continuous learning and process optimisation.”

Photocentric has now joined a large and growing community of umati partners, and the plug-and-play system will provide customers with freedom to combine machinery from multiple manufacturers within the umati ecosystem, and scale their operation without significant reconfiguration.

The universal standard of communication will also allow engineering companies to work more closely and exchange data in a standardised way. Photocentric believe this collaboration will accelerate the global shift to industry 4.0 and encourage the growth of new software to optimise manufacturing processes from both quality and environmental standpoints.

Mr Finlay concluded: “Our partnership with umati will help mitigate the complexities involved when collaborating with other companies in the manufacturing sector, resulting in the faster development of innovative production processes, and benefitting our customers.”