Plexus Systems Inc., providers of Plexus Online on-demand software for manufacturing enterprise, announced the Advanced Technology Institute (North Charleston, S.C.) is using Plexus Online to facilitate collaboration, coordination and information-sharing among its partners – governmental, industrial and academic. Plexus Online is the official tool uploading system for forging companies, OEMs and government agencies that participate in the National Forging Tooling Database (NFTD). The NFTD is a web-based tool that was developed in association with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which handles purchasing for the U.S. Department of Defense and the Forging Defense Manufacturing Consortium. The University of Toledo led the development of the NFTD, which was developed under a cost-shared manufacturing technology program known as PRO-FAST.

The Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) is a private non-profit research company that helps organize national and international collaborative efforts to develop and implement solutions for industry and government entities in manufacturing, aerospace, automotive and metals industries. ATI’s partners report improved market transition and return on investment with reduced risk, which enables downstream benefits such as safety, timeliness, affordability, competitiveness, environmental protection and energy conservation.