The target of research efforts is to develop a smarter factory with machine tools that not only can think and communicate, but also deliver smarter maintenance. The era of smart machines has not yet arrived, according to John Kohls, executive vice president of TechSolver and one of the people spearheading the industry consortium dubbed as the Smart Machine Platform Initiative (SMPI). The industry is making progress in developing one smart characteristic at a time, and the goal is to integrate all those smart characteristics into equipment that can think. The four-year SMPI initiative is in its technology evaluation stage. The test is being carried out in a four-axis horizontal machining hub from Milltronics Manufacturing in Waconia, Minnesota. The evaluation platform is a typical machine tool with a GE Fanuc control. SMPI aims to develop machines that are good listeners and can recognize abnormal process sound, issue a warning, and recommend ways to solve the problem. The next move is improving smart machines by installing a communication standard that will pave the way for a smarter factory. MTConnect, the machine tool interoperability program from the machine tool trade group, Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), is envisaged as the communication solution to SMPIs smart machine. Initial work on MTConnect is being carried out at the University of California at Berkeley. The concept of a smart factory also covers maintenance. The Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems (IMS), a program headed by the National Science Foundation, multicampus universities and industry, aims to develop advanced prognostic and maintenance solutions intended to provide factories zero-breakdown productivity.