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In April 2024, MxD (Manufacturing x Digital) hosted the 2024 MBE & QIF Summit which was jointly organized by NIST and the DMSC (Digital Metrology Standards Consortium). The event was attended by nearly 200 individuals and featured over 30 technical sessions along with a factory automation tour at the MxD facility.
The Model-Based Enterprise (MBE) Summit was attended by leaders who have begun deploying digital modeling technologies in earnest to realize the benefits of a Model-Based Definition (MBD) and were eager to share their challenges and successes in the four years since the last MBE Summit. NIST’s Rosemary Astheimer led the call for presentations, organized technical content, and acted as Master of Ceremonies for the event. NIST’s Allison Barnard Feeney presented the architecture of ISO 10303, known as the STandard for the Exchange of Product data (STEP), then focused on ISO 10303-242:2022 Model-based 3D engineering (AP 242), widely-used for communicating engineering design and manufacturing information between lifecycle software systems and for long-term archiving. She described the current capabilities in AP 242, detailed new capabilities for edition 4, and described related NIST research results. She emphasized the importance of standards in leveling the playing field for small-to-medium sized enterprises, aiding interoperability of software implementations, and fostering innovation.
The QIF Summit focused on the Quality Information Framework (QIF, ISO 23952:2020) used to manage quality inspection data. Current efforts to develop the next QIF release were presented. DMSC leaders held an interactive session to develop a roadmap for future DMSC standards, enhancements, and activities.
The advantages of MBD are well-established and organizations are developing rich MBDs. Many presenters discussed the challenges that smaller manufacturers face when attempting to support large OEMs and the DOD, organizations eager to embrace the benefits of an MBE. The large leap to model-based technology can be overwhelming and expensive for the small businesses of less than 20 employees that make up 75 % of the approximately 240,000 manufacturing firms in the U.S. MxD introduced the audience to resources available to assist small manufacturers with cost subsidies, training opportunities, and engagement in MxD projects to demonstrate the benefits of digital methods.
There is still a great deal of data being exchanged outside the closed-loop utopia the digital thread promises, as discussed during two panel sessions. One panel addressed the urgent need to address traceability of data throughout the product lifecycle and in long-term data retention. The second panel encouraged industry to take a more aggressive approach to adopting existing MBE capabilities. Both panels sparked dynamic discussions between panelists and attendees.
Plans for MxD to host the MBE Summit in April 2025 are underway and will be announced when dates are confirmed. The 2024 Summit presentations are now available for download from the 2024 NIST MBE & QIF Summit event page.