MDSI History and Evolution

The evolution of MDSI is marked by careful technology development and rigorous shop floor testing conducted for years before the OpenCNC product family was formally introduced to the market. From its initial introduction into the end-user metalcutting industry, OpenCNC is now penetrating the electronics, general motion, and new machine industries.

• 2007 - MDSI becomes a division of Hurco Companies, Inc.
• 2003 - MDSI releases CNC and motion control solutions providing complete hardware/software/service packages to end users and machine builders.
• 2002 - MDSI becomes a subsidiary of Tecumseh Products Company.
• 2002 - WinMotion is released to the general motion control market.
• 2001 - High speed machining success in high end aerospace accounts proves OpenCNC's price/performance value.
• 2000 - Machine tool builders in both metal cutting and general motion machines begin shipping new machines with OpenCNC.
• 1999 - OpenCNC^®/OEM introduced to address needs of machine builders.
• 1998 - OpenCNC on Microsoft^® Windows NT^®. First CNC in the industry to run on Windows NT without a motion control card.
• 1997 - OpenCNC^® market introduction.
• 1996 - Corporate name Manufacturing Data Systems, Inc. established
• 1995 - Proof of concept began. OpenCNC was installed on a wide range of machines to prove the flexibility of the design. By 1996 OpenCNC was successfully controlling two axes lathes, 4 axis merging lathes, grinders, and 5 axes Sundstrand Omnimils.
• 1995 - Founded by Charles S. Hutchins, Bruce E. Nourse, and James R. Fall.
• 1994 - Prototype and initial development complete. First installation on Warner-Swasey Lathe successful. Entire machine control was run on a single Intel 386 processor.
• 1989 -Charles S. Hutchins and Bruce E. Nourse developed plan to create the world's first open architecture CNC with built in network connectivity and automatic data collection. Read about Charles S. Hutchins - MDSI co-founder and technology visionary.