Why I tackled cross‑plant hot failover without a hardware shopping spreeI've been on the shop floor when a single PLC failure stopped two downstream lines and forced a weekend of overtime and expensive emergency hardware orders. Two plants, one critical controller, and a supplier lead time that...
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Process Optimization
I recently ran a small but rigorous pilot to prove that a smart patch — a...
Smart Factory
When I was asked to consolidate quality data coming from three different legacy...
Sustainability
I often get asked how to make sustainability more than a reporting checkbox —...
Automation
I’ve spent the last decade deploying machine learning models where the rubber...
When I run a smart factory pilot under an MBRP program — which I define here as a Model-Based Resource Planning initiative that ties digital models, sensors and control systems to resource planning and execution — the central question I need to...
I want to share a practical, no‑fluff blueprint I use when integrating PLC data into AWS IoT Core while keeping operations teams comfortable and systems stable — or as our ops folks joke, “without breaking the iTunes of ops.” This is a...
When a supplier, energy contractor, or even an internal sustainability program tells you that the new smart meters on your plant floor will cut energy use by 15–30%, my first reaction is always the same: show me the data, the assumptions, and the...
I recently led a brownfield digital twin project on a live assembly line and learned that the difference between a disruptive mess and a smooth, measurable upgrade is largely down to planning, staged delivery, and respect for the plant’s rhythms....
When I was first asked whether a 30% reduction in machine cycle time was realistic, my immediate reaction was: “It depends.” But after running pilots across automotive and food plants, I’ve learned that combination of prescriptive maintenance...
I’ve implemented lot‑tracking solutions in plants where the real challenge wasn’t the technology — it was the mess of three different, aging ERP systems that each thought they owned the “truth.” If you’re facing the same problem, you...
I’ve seen more than a few OPC UA projects stall, degrade, or simply fail to deliver the “single source of truth” that everyone expected. The promise — secure, interoperable, semantically rich industrial data — is real. But in practice,...
I’ve designed and commissioned mid‑scale conveyor systems for automotive tier suppliers, food packaging lines, and electronics assembly plants. One of the most common questions I hear from engineers and plant managers is: Which control platform...
I’ve designed several closed‑loop quality control systems that combine machine vision and machine learning, and I want to walk you through a pragmatic, production‑ready approach that I’ve used with OEMs and tier‑1 suppliers. This is not...
I’ve spent the last decade on plant floors and in control rooms watching the same pattern repeat: when variability or rising scrap shows up, the knee‑jerk response is to order new sensors, replace valves, or spec a higher‑precision actuator....