IoT Certified OptoPartner shows us how to quickly retrofit a CNC mill with groov RIO

In a time when automation is driven by increasing connectivity, there is still plenty of everyday equipment that is simply not designed to talk to much of anything. 

This equipment might be full of juicy data—how well it’s working, how much energy it’s using, how often it’s put to work—and leveraging that data to build an OEE or predictive maintenance program is often an untapped source of potential savings.

But what are your options for integrating this kind of equipment? Well, until recently they probably didn’t look very good.

Martin Control Systems Inc. helps customers with common challenges

In our latest OptoPartner video, Nate Kay, Sr. Project Engineer with Martin CSI says the most common challenges faced by customers are tight schedules, plant shutdowns, budgets and working on legacy equipment. While Martin CSI offers standard control engineering services, they also have specialty areas including safety, machine vision and data collection.

For 40 years, top manufacturers in Food & Bev, CPG and Pharma have called upon Grantek to take on their most complex business and manufacturing challenges. Grantek’s team of professionals located in 17 offices across the globe deliver solutions to complex problems in Smart Manufacturing, Industrial Networking, Automation and Industrial Safety.

Opto 22 talks connected manufacturing in the food industry.

Way back when face-to-face interviews were a thing, I had the opportunity to sit down with Pons Tugonon to talk about the development of connected food manufacturing. Pons leads OptoTech (now P&E Automation), a long-time international system integrator and distributor for Opto 22, and his work with the Mama Sita’s brand (Marigold Manufacturing Corporation) of authentic Filipino food products shows off the potential for industrial edge computing in manufacturing.

Opto 22 system integrators tell their stories in new videos

Many of us are aware of the important role automation system integrators play in the industrial sector. Companies and organizations of all types often look to an outside firm to help design, install or commission their automation projects. Some system integrators are generalists while others have domain knowledge of specific verticals, but ultimately they help combine different devices and machines into an integrated, efficient system. 

Building industrial MQTT networks at scale with edge computing.

We promised that 2020 would be a big year for MQTT at Opto 22, and with the launch of groov RIO, we've renewed our commitment to this transformative communication standard. But, in spite of its popularity—already used in everything from mobile chat to smart energy management—and the advantages it provides for IIoT, there are significant challenges to bringing MQTT into an industrial environment. In this new white paper, we show you how (and why) to make it happen.

Join HiveMQ and Opto 22 for an introduction to MQTT Sparkplug: Plug 'n Play Interoperability for IIoT.

You might recognize HiveMQ as one of the world's leading educators on MQTT. The enterprise-class HiveMQ MQTT broker has been helping companies like BMW, Daimler, Moen, and Acer connect devices to the Internet securely and scalably since 2012. It has made them one of the fastest growing companies in Germany. Opto 22 recently partnered with HiveMQ to demonstrate the power of MQTT/Sparkplug B on products like groov RIO for an upcoming webinar.

The end of 2020 is quickly approaching, and for many it's probably a welcome relief. 

As we reflect on an unusual year, we want to convey our deepest appreciation to all our customers, distributors, partners, and loyal Opto users. We are grateful for your support and commitment to Opto 22 products. Despite the challenges of 2020, we're dedicated to serving you.

Industrial edge computing enables cutting-edge indoor agricultural control and business intelligence.

Indoor agriculture is more than just greenhouses now, and for good reason. As populations grow and food demand increases, supply chains become stressed. By moving agriculture indoors, food production can happen even in the middle of dense towns and cities where many food products are ultimately bound. And unlike Mother Nature, indoor environments can be controlled for consistent, efficient, year-round production.

But as you know, not all automation is alike. Traditional control systems designed for large-scale environments aren’t well-suited to the skillset or budget of many small, indoor grow operations, but on the other hand, more affordable solutions lack centralized integration. Solutions big and small also fail to provide the security, storage, and communication features that could support useful data collection for developing business intelligence (BI).

So when MicroClimates set out to design a scalable automation and BI solution to support the growing indoor ag industry, "we went out to look for the best of breed hardware to put our software onto and that's why we ended up with groov RIO", says Loren West, MicroClimates’s CTO.

Join Cirrus Link Solutions and Opto 22 for a new webinar highlighting advanced features of MQTT and Ignition 8.

You'll want to add this important webinar to your December events schedule. Arlen Nipper, co-inventor of MQTT and CTO of Cirrus Link Solutions, will once again be hosting an informative virtual event showcasing the latest features of MQTT and Ignition 8 software (the latest release from Inductive Automation). Opto 22's Benson Hougland will also be hosting and providing live product demonstrations of this new technology.