iTAC Software AG is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. In 2021, the iTAC.MOM.Suite became its core product, a holistic, flexible manufacturing management system with functions for controlling, optimizing and forecasting production processes. This positions iTAC as one of the pioneers of microservice-based automation software, which is in the process of eclipsing the old monolithic systems.
Martin Heinz, Vorstand iTAC Software AG (Foto iTAC)
Alongside ERP and PLM, MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is one of the central software systems in the manufacturing industry. But the traditional monolithic approach is reaching its limits in the increasingly connected and digitalized world. The modern factory must be highly adaptable and versatile. As a self-sufficient proprietary system and in its classic scope of functions, MES does not meet these requirements.
“The future challenges can only be solved with open software solutions and microservices architectures,” Martin Heinz, CEO of iTAC Software AG, is quoted as saying in a press release dated Sept. 20, 2023. “Flexible systems are needed to be able to react quickly to changes. A traditional monolithic software architecture is too limited in this respect. This is because the components here are partly interconnected and interdependent. Modern production therefore needs a holistic manufacturing management system, a so-called Manufacturing Operations Management system, or MOM for short.”
For iTAC, the MOM system is a further development of MES – designed for predictable production that makes use of the latest IIoT technology. It brings previously separate worlds together.
According to the press release, the iTAC.MOM.Suite has all the necessary functions for connecting and automating processes. It has a modular and scalable design, and its openness allows it to be seamlessly integrated into companies’ digital platform strategies. The microservices architecture makes it possible to provide functionalities as needed.
The MOM solution also allows control, optimization and prediction of production processes using AI. It combines the typical MES functions with solutions for control, planning and analytics as well as IIoT capabilities. The MOM system functionally covers all shop floor processes and provides connectivity to upstream factory planning and design systems, as well as to higher-level ERP and PLM systems.
The software is geared towards discrete manufacturing – from one-off to batch and mass production – and can be run on-premises, hybrid or in the cloud. It is used globally by companies in a variety of industries, including automotive manufacturers/suppliers, electronics/EMS/TC, medical devices, metalworking, and energy, as well as in emerging markets such as e-mobility.
Martin Heinz says: “While for many years we solved classic requirements such as traceability and production management in the conventional MES, today it is also necessary to link production processes and digitalize them in an agile manner. With the MOM, we have created a holistic platform for this.
Von MES zu MoM, vom Monolithen zu Microservices (Bild iTAC)
The functionalities for traceability, production planning or control are still essential, but are being expanded to include new applications with AI and low-code applications, among others, forming a flexible yet highly standardized system that is also fully scalable and easy to roll out due to the template properties.”
iTAC Software AG is an independent company of the Dürr mechanical and plant engineering group and offers Internet-enabled information and communication technologies for the manufacturing industry. Founded in 1998, the company has its headquarters in Montabaur, Germany, as well as a branch office in the USA, Mexico, China and Japan, and has a worldwide partner network for sales and service.
The Dürr Group primarily supplies the automotive industry, producers of furniture and wooden houses, and the chemical, pharmaceutical, medical products and electrical sectors. In 2022, it generated sales of € 4.3 billion. The company has about 19,000 employees and 123 locations in 32 countries. The Dürr Group operates in the market with the three brands Dürr, Schenck and HOMAG and with five divisions.