SCOPE: What is the status of standardization?

Broos: A core team of eight machine tool manufacturers has been working together since EMO Hannover 2017 to get the new standard off the ground. We have also been able to get the most important control system manufacturers on board, because every open interface must be able to connect to the common control systems, and nobody knows these better than the respective manufacturer. The highly experienced Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Production Equipment (ISW) at the University of Stuttgart is supporting us as a scientific partner. Despite initial hurdles due to different requirements for a standard interface in the various companies, the project has really taken off and we were able to present an initial showcase, a proof of concept, at AMB Stuttgart in September. We connected machines from nine manufacturers with the five different control systems to a large number of communication partners. We have now defined over 100 parameters. The next step will be to derive a draft OPC UA Companion Specification from this.

SCOPE: What is the international feedback on the German initiative?

Broos: We are in intensive discussions with our international sister associations and the most important foreign machine manufacturers. The feedback has been consistently positive. Above all, we are coordinating with the US AMT, which has already promoted a standard with MT-Connect that pursues a similar objective. However, it hasn't really been able to establish itself outside the USA yet. We are currently examining whether and how parts of this standard can be integrated into umati.

There is also great interest in umati in Asia. We will initially initiate cooperation with Japan on a smaller scale, and we are also looking into involving Chinese industry. South Korea has also signaled an interest in cooperation. In Europe, we are already in close contact with the individual countries via the European machine tool association Cecimo.

SCOPE: What happens now?

Broos: As already mentioned, we are working on our first draft of the OPC UA Companion Specification. As soon as this is published, which should be early next year, the international community will be able to participate in the further development and dissemination of the standard. A so-called Joint Working Group will be set up under the umbrella of the OPC Foundation for this purpose, which will then receive comments and suggestions and review their implementation.

At EMO Hannover, we want to present the first concrete, internationally coordinated draft of our Companion Specification and show a significantly expanded showcase.