Mark goes into what most of us OT integrators have found with Ignition. It damn near does everything, which can make some of us feel anxiety that we might be doing something wrong. If you’d like to listen more, click on the full youtube podcast. We go into OEE solutions, open source, architectures and many other OT integrator topics.

Mark goes right into showing how you could build an open source solution for a POC. This could be for the plants that are nervous about making a large investment and need proof that it helps solve issues on the plant floor. If you’d like to listen more, click on the full youtube podcast. We go into OEE solutions, open source, architectures and many other OT integrator topics.

Mark was a bit nervous about letting everyone know that he was a fan of Wonderware’s System Platform. I’m not a fan of it, however he does make a good argument about how it forces you to make a structure. If you’d like to listen more, click on the full youtube podcast. We go into OEE solutions, open source, architectures and many other OT integrator topics.

I know everyone sees ads on linkedin for OEE solutions that are just plug and play. They’ll repeat over and over again that it's easy, the setup only takes an hour with no programming needed, but MES solutions should be custom so they can fit the customer’s needs. Not one provider can pound their chest and claim they have it figured out for all applications. Feedback from the customer has to be made at each site to see how they use the tool and where there is a void. If you’d like to listen more, click on the full youtube podcast. We go into OEE solutions, open source, architectures and many other OT integrator topics.

Let me set the stage for this video. Mark reached out after he saw one of our podcast with Anthony about using Raspberry PI for capturing machine data at a plant for OEE and analytics. Mark and I quickly learned that we have a few disagreements that we needed to iron out. So I invited on the podcast to showcase what he would do given a random plant. Mark is a very experienced mostly OT programmer with some great experiences that he provides to the community, not only on Linkedin but the 4.0 discord server. I would strongly recommend following him, his content is gold. A great watch for individuals that want to learn about: - System Platforms - MES solutions - Open-source architecture - Ignition - Challenges of data structure and programming - Drawbacks of manual reason codes - Striking a balance between depth and simplicity in solution development. - Top-down MES solutions, - Value of practical solutions, - Problem-solving tailored to customer requirements

MES projects are the hardest automation projects that you can take on. We got a chance to interview Anthony George (Tony) on his MES journey. What is unique about Tony is that he comes from the IT side that has mostly focused on Cyber Security. He then stepped down onto the OT floor starting on a MES/OEE pilot project with a very tight budget. Tony ran into several MES hurdles which I think is great to share these experiences with the community. - Educating the plant’s staff - Extracting as much automated machine data as you can - Doing it with a small pilot project budget - Solving as many problem areas for each user as you can I have to hand it to Tony for not only surviving this journey but also living long enough to share with others. Reach out to him when you get a chance, here on Linkedin and the 4.0 discord server. Anthony George https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonygeorgewichita/

In this podcast, four experts in the industrial controls and automation field engage in an insightful discussion about their experiences, favorite PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) brands, and the future of the industry. They provide valuable insights into the appeal of working in industrial controls, the significance of ladder logic and structured text in programming, and the challenges faced in the industry. The podcast offers valuable information for professionals in the automation field, as well as anyone interested in understanding the current state and potential developments in industrial controls and automation.

Learn about John Piller and Bret Young. How they started in the field and where they are now. We head right into our common automation industry issues. 0:00 - Entry into the industrial controls and automation field. 1:04 - The Appeal of Industrial Controls 3:03 - Oldest System Worked On 4:07 - Favorite PLC Brands 6:03 - Pros and Cons of Micro800 and AutomationDirect Products 8:17 - Importance of Ladder Logic and Structured Text 10:05 - Self-Diagnostic Error Codes 11:55 - Challenges in the Industry 13:15 - The Future of the Industry 15:17 - Conclusion

In this YouTube transcript, Brant, John, Bret and Johnny discuss various experiences and challenges related to OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency) solutions. They talk about different types of OEE solutions, including basic whiteboard or Excel-based tracking, black box solutions with sensors, and software like SAP MII and DM. They share some experiences with companies implementing OEE solutions and highlight the importance of starting with a solid foundation from the ground level, including PLC integration and data collection. They also mention issues with operator-entered reason codes, as it can lead to inaccuracies and arguments between departments. Brant brings up a cases where a company spent a significant amount of money on an OEE solution but realized that it did not provide the depth of analysis they needed due to operator input issues. They discuss the need for proper training and human engineering to ensure the data collected is reliable and accurate. Overall, the discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding the manufacturing environment, integrating automation solutions properly, and addressing human factors to achieve successful OEE implementation. YouTube Chapter Markers: 0:00 - Introduction and participants 0:14 - Experiences with OEE Solutions: starting with a whiteboard or Excel 1:23 - Black box solutions with sensors 3:03 - SAP MII and DM as OEE solutions 6:05 - SAP solution's limitations and lack of depth 8:04 - The importance of starting from the ground level with OEE 9:08 - A case where an OEE solution affected plant operations 10:01 - Challenges with reason codes and operator input 15:06 - Combining technology with human factors in OEE solutions 20:00 - Implications for the future of manufacturing and OEE solutions.

Thinking about starting your own system integrator business? Here is a quick video describing what it feels like from 3 owners. 0:00: Introduction 0:03: Starting a business and its challenges 1:16: Why they chose to start their own businesses 2:20: Recommendation for others to start their own businesses 3:25: Discussion about website development and business partnerships 12:51: Website development and its complexity 19:41: Importance of simplicity on the website 21:18: Conclusion and summary of website discussions.

Meet Brian Pribe, one of the few that have time to answer questions on linkedin and the discord server with a wealth of information. You can find him here https://machcontrols.com/ 0:00 - Introduction and discussion about HMI preferences. 15:00 - Importance of large screens in HMIs for better user experience. 25:00 - Discussion about future-proofing HMIs and the ability to scale. 35:00 - The impact of callouts and remote work on project workflows. 46:01 - The challenge of retaining skilled technicians and the importance of investing in employee development. 47:00 - Expands on the issues faced by technicians in large manufacturing companies. 51:58 - Types of projects involved, such as automotive, CNC integration, and assembly/pick-and-place work. 54:09 - Discusses CNC machines and the potential difficulties of integrating them with other systems due to complex communication requirements. 57:49 - Talks about involvement in the automotive and CNC fields, as well as reluctance to work on custom cable projects due to their complexity and frustration. 1:00:03 - Includes advice on being customer-centric and understanding what the customer wants, even if it means dealing with frustrating tasks like custom cable projects. 1:00:26 - Touches on Power BI as a data visualization tool, expressing some frustration with its performance and limitations in handling large-scale data. 1:01:23 - Compares the adoption of Power BI

The Micro800 has some mixed feelings in the automation community. Brian Pribe, Johnny Jones and Brant Wiederholt discuss the issues with the software and its limits. The conversation is about programmable logic controllers (PLCs) with a focus on Allen Bradley's Micro 800 and Compact Logics series. Johnny uses the Micro 800 more frequently, while Brian prefers the Compact Logics for larger systems. They discuss the advantages and drawbacks of both series, emphasizing that the Micro 800 is suitable for basic process controls and monitoring tasks. However, it may not be the best choice for applications requiring more complex functionalities and extensive I/O. They also mention that Connected Components Workbench (CCW) provides some additional features compared to RS Logix 5000, but it can be slower and less stable on certain projects. YouTube Chapter Markers: Introduction (0:00) Discussing Micro 800 and Compact Logics (0:05) Use cases and preferences (0:39) Experience with Micro 800 (1:51) Compact Logics and its advantages (4:10) CCW features and issues (7:35) Centralized updates and remote management (10:07) Customer perspectives (11:09) Conclusion (11:46)

There are 2 parts to this video, the very fast 800ft view of OEE solutions that I attempt to get through quickly. Then the last 45 minutes Peter gets into more detail. So depending on what kind of viewer you are, the video has both. In the first half we go over: ▫ The birth of OEE ▫ 3 common types of OEE Solutions ▫ 4 typical OEE users ▫ 6 Common OEE issues FAQ: ▫ Who should watch this video? Anyone trying to understand the different types of OEE solutions with the pros and cons. So this would be plant managers and engineers. ▫ Is this OEE video different from Walker’s OEE videos? Yes, Walker has done a great job showing programmers how to build OEE solutions even gone into why manufacturing plants need custom built solutions vs purchasing one. However, we have our personal experience that we’d like to express about the 3 types of OEE solutions that are on the market. Then add why Walker was right about building a custom solution for the plant. 1:13 - Overview of the topics covered in the video, including the birth of OEE, types of OEE solutions, users, and common issues. 2:13 - OEE trade-offs 3:18 - "Too Far from the Process" category of OEE solutions 7:41 - Challenges of manual reason code entry and its limitations in accurately tracking downtime. 8:22 - Three categories of OEE solutions: "Too Far from the Process," "Approaching the Process," and "Part of the Process." 19:39 - Standard Solutions: Cloud-based (OEE IT Special) 31:37 - Introduction to Cloud Solutions and Vendor Lock-In 32:12 - Embedding OEE and Root Fault Drivers into PLCs 37:27 - Different Users: Corporate, Supervisors, Maintenance, and Operators 47:26 - Availability vs. Performance: 49:28 - Utilization and Reliable OEE 51:00 - Reasons for downtime rather than just performance metrics. 55:01 - Root Fault Explanation 1:03:45 - Operator Interface 1:05:37 - Utilizing Comparison Shift and equipment 1:08:12 - Six common issues faced while implementing OEE solutions1:11:06 - Addressing the challenges of implementing OEE solutions 1:15:46 - OEE System Architecture 1:18:30 - Introduction to Equipment States. 1:25:03 - Challenges and Struggles with OEE 1:28:15 - OEE Solution Examples 1:29:39 - Integrating HMI and SCADA Systems 1:36:06 - Hurdles in implementing OEE solutions

Conversion and Migrations start at 2:34 When to use an HMI or a SCADA system: start at 21:44 Trending Ignition options: start at 25:09 Say no to big panels: start at 29:09 Dev environments with AB: start 37:52 Edge devices that need to be cleaned up for OEE: start 45:02 Processor and IO agnostic: start 49:09 Standard deviation: start 52:01 What is Induasol working on: start at 55:45

Time stamps from clips! How to program a plant faster 1:52 Development area 5:08 Unsuccessful and successful 8:48 High risk or have a development area 10:56 Option B vs C 15:04 Programer to the production vs development to production 16:55 Development vs production 18:34 Random number generator 21:51 ISA 88 batching 25:32 Higher cost upfront 31:34 HMI screen designs are harder than PLC code 33:16 Pigging system 42:06

Raw Automation talk In this podcast you’ll be listening to Johnny Jones from Induasol and myself. We now own automation companies but came up from the bottom. We kept having conversations about automation over the phone until we finally convinced ourselves that we needed to do a podcast so we could share our horror stories with everyone else. We mostly work in different industries, but there are a few things that merge. Induasol is mostly a panel shop with a few software solutions and Agile Automation is on the opposite side as a mostly a software SCADA company with a small portion with hardware. We disagree on our approaches to different applications, but as we dive into the issues we both learn from each other. In the future we’ll get into some horror stories and hash out more. We wanted to provide our experiences starting from an electrician, to a technician to a programmer, and then to a company owner. This was our first time doing a podcast, and of course we made mistakes. We’re trying to make this fun to listen to, similar to “Car talk”. If we said anything wrong, you can leave it in the comment section. 0:00 What makes a good programmer 4:00 The perfect technician 6:06 Underwear and machines that need to be thrown away 14:16 Manufacturing plant software support 17:28 learning relay logic for beginners 19:36 latching bits (when and how to use it) 22:46 Panel building 25:36 what we find out in the field with analog terminals 27:50 What terminals do you like to use 37:20 Fluke or Harbor freight Voltmeter 40:13 0-10volt still out in the field 42:00 Panel hardware preference 43:40 How did you come up with the name Induasol? 44:21 Oil and gas, truck loading project 50:25 HMI direction 51:20 Allen bradley panelviews have bad UI designers 54:20 Panelview vs Pro-face 56:11 AB version issues 58:00 Panelview backlight issues 59:59 HMI vs PC with Ignition 1:05:25 4:3 vs 16:9 cost issues long term 1:07:30 Logic in the cloud 1:09:47 Allen bradley certifications 1:12:55 Where to get started with automation 1:15:45 Revision control

What to do with old machines? Why can’t factories standardized on PLCs10 Electricians or operators becoming last minute automation techs Clicky clack (relay logic) PLC comparison When was Windows 7 released? Have you seen Windows XP? At some level we have to re-write the code for these old machines. issues with running RSlogic 5000 versions 19 or earlier A new machine with RSlogix 5000 version 19 What about the old discontinued micrologix PLC Are these companies running these machines too long? How many plants have you been to that have AB, siemens, ect Bad HMI design PLCnext scalability When do you go from Micro800 to controllogic Redundancy is overkill. Fans are the issue

Raw Automation talk In this podcast you’ll be listening to Johnny Jones from Induasol and myself. We now own automation companies but came up from the bottom. We kept having conversations about automation over the phone until we finally convinced ourselves that we needed to do a podcast so we could share our horror stories with everyone else. We mostly work in different industries, but there are a few things that merge. Induasol is mostly a panel shop with some software solutions and Agile Automation is on the opposite side being mostly a software SCADA company with a small portion in hardware. We disagree on our approaches to different applications, but as we dive into the issues we both learn from each other. In the future we’ll get into some horror stories and hash out more. We wanted to provide our experiences starting from an electrician, to a technician to a programmer, and then to a company owner. We’re still working out the bugs doing these podcasts. We’re trying to make this fun to listen to, similar to “Car talk”. If we said anything wrong, you can leave it in the comment section. Podcast option: https://www.agileautomation.net/podcast/episode/794fe0ee/raw-automation-talk-episode-2 0:00 Introduction 1:00 Panel work load for Oil and gas 3:20 Typical ways that Oil and gas get their data 5:12 5G at oil and gas sites 8:20 Well site protocol 11:30 Chillicothe plant horror stories 13:48 Biggest complaint from operators 17:09 NFPA 70E 22:30 finger safe distribution blocks 24:12 Buss bars systems 28:00 Callouts and BOMs 29:20 Electrical drawing standards 33:47 Wire labels 38:22 When you know a plant will be sold 39:56 System designing with either AB 800 or Controllogix 1:00:55 RIO vs independent PLCs