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Why Asset Performance Management is Critical to Modern Manufacturing

This article was originally published on AutomationWorld.com on January 13, 2025.

Danny Haskell

Danny Haskell, President & VP of Sales

By combining real-time monitoring, predictive analytics and proactive maintenance, APM shifts focus from reactive problem-solving to proactive performance optimization.

Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to deliver high-quality products while maximizing production and profitability. However, issues like equipment downtime, inefficient processes and a lack of real-time visibility into asset health can all reduce productivity and increase costs.

This is where asset performance management (APM) comes in. Read More

Beyond Off-the-Shelf: Why Customized Industrial Automation Training Wins Every Time

As many manufacturers look to remain Industry 4.0 competitive, they turn toward automation and IoT technologies to enhance efficiency. As part of this initiative manufacturers need to build organizational capabilities particularly in the areas of human capital to support and maintain these systems.

To do so, manufacturers must develop effective training for factory automation and enterprise systems. However, when it comes to training there is no such thing as a one-size fits all. Every manufacturing plant operates with unique processes and challenges and off-the-shelf industrial automation training often falls short of meeting these specific requirements. Read More

The Power of Modular PLC Code for Enhanced Performance, Reusability, Flexibility & Interoperability

This article was originally published on AutomationWorld.com on January 8, 2024. 

Everyone loves spaghetti! Who doesn’t remember their grandmother cooking spaghetti, the aroma filling the house, the anticipation of a delicious, hearty meal? It’s a universal comfort food, often bringing back fond memories of family gatherings and cozy dinners. However, while spaghetti on your dinner plate is a delightful experience, ‘spaghetti code’ in the context of PLC programming is far less appetizing. Read More

Overcoming Issues with Equipment Integration into Manufacturing Processes

This article was originally published on AutomationWorld.com on March 27, 2023. 

 

Key aspects of equipment integration into the manufacturing process are often overlooked. These machine-to-enterprise integration methodologies and tips will help you create a viable digital integration strategy.

Manufacturers must have real-time access to information from their processes. Such information can assist users throughout the organization in analyzing, troubleshooting, and suggesting enhancements to improve operations. Following are three frequently overlooked integration aspects that, when implemented, will ensure you have access to the information you need: Read More

Beyond the Andon Light System: The Value of an Andon Board in Lean Manufacturing

andon board andon systemIn Lean manufacturing, the Andon system was created to notify operators of any issues on the production line as a means to promptly identify and tackle any production issues. Traditionally, an Andon was made up of a cord, which the operator pulls to indicate the occurrence of a problem, and an Andon light, which draws attention to the issue. Today, Andon systems are available in various forms, each progressively more advanced in terms of technology: Read More

Unlocking the Power of Data: Digital Transformation in Life Sciences

digital transformation in life sciencesIndustry 4.0 is marching towards digital transformation in life sciences and smart factories are being driven by IIoT, real-time data, cloud computing, and machine learning. With its implementation comes the promise of increased efficiencies and improved processes. The idea sounds simple, but manufacturing has many distinct data points across its entire process and integrating a digital transformation strategy and data across an enterprise is a far more challenging undertaking, especially in regulated environments. Read More

MQTT Sparkplug B, or Not to B? Unified Namespace Architecture Considerations

What is Unified Namespace architectureThe Unified Namespace (UNS) has proven to be a popular architecture for folks undergoing a digital transformation initiative.  At the core of the unified namespace architecture is a centralized repository of structured data which any application or device can subscribe or publish data to.  Utilizing a hub and spoke architecture provides the benefit of decoupling your data from the application layer – each node only needs to subscribe and publish to data within the UNS rather than create discrete connections to each device/application in your ecosystem.  Read More