For the last fifteen years, we have been the enterprise integration partner for Moog, another Western NY company. Moog is a leader in the design and manufacture of motion control systems for the aerospace industry and industrial equipment manufacturers around the world.
The Aircraft Group, for example, makes actuators and systems for primary flight and jet engine controls for the commercial and military markets. I often think of Moog as I look out over the wing of the aircraft I’m riding.
Since 2004, Moog has been investigating 3D printing or Additive Manufacturing (AM). The technology makes it possible for a laser and Titanium (or other metal) powder to “print” high quality, intricate, and very robust parts. AM creates parts that are impossible to make by machining and eliminates the need for inventory as these parts can be printed on demand. This sets the stage for real-time intelligent manufacturing known as Industry 4.0. AM is clearly a disruptive technology that cries out for a new business model.
Jim van Oss started as an engineer at Moog and eventually became CIO. Jim’s now responsible for Moog’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) strategy, design, architecture, and deployment. Two years ago, I had a conversation with him about the potential of AM and Blockchain technologies at Moog. When we talked, I was not yet aware of the point-of-use, time-of-need Veripart™ supply chain business model, evolving at Moog. The vision of ordering single or printed parts from a trust-based marketplace came about by trying to solve the following scenario.
