This week at Smart Metals Podcast, we, the hosts Denis Gontcharov and Luke van Enkhuizen, had a conversation about implementing Unified Namespace (UNS) in manufacturing environments with Brian Pribe, founder and president of MACH Controls LLC. We explored how to make advanced manufacturing technology accessible to businesses of all sizes.

We delved deeper into practical implementation of UNS, the combination of MQTT and Kafka, and making these solutions affordable for smaller manufacturers. If your current challenge is connecting your manufacturing equipment or implementing a unified namespace solution, then listen to this episode when you have a moment.

Topics

• [00:00] Introduction to the Smart Metals Podcast
• [00:32] 📊 Brian Pribe's Journey in Manufacturing and MACH Controls LLC
• [01:59] 🚀 Understanding and Implementing Unified Namespace
• [04:45] 🌐 Technical Deep Dive: MQTT and Kafka Integration
• [11:14] 📋 European Data Act and Its Impact on Manufacturing
• [16:13] 💡 Making Technology Accessible for Small Manufacturers
• [23:03] 📈 Unlocking Business Insights with Unified Namespace
• [24:52] 🏭 First Steps: From Strategy to Proof of Concept
• [28:35] 🔄 Integrating IT and OT Systems
• [31:32] 🔮 Future of Manufacturing and Generational Transition

Interesting Quotes

• "The Unified Namespace isn't just about connecting devices - it's about contextualizing data in a way that makes sense for your business." – Brian Pribe
• "For non-critical applications, open source all the way. Start with FOSS solutions. It's not going to cost you anything, and it's going to push you in the right direction." – Brian Pribe
• "You can only improve what you measure. And if you're not measuring anything, you're not going to improve at all." – Brian Pribe
• "I think the biggest challenge is not per se that the machines don't have the connectivities. It's the fact that most users of the machines are not even remotely aware how many sensors and computer systems are actually in their plant." – Luke van Enkhuizen
• "The licensing costs for connecting machines through OPC UA can be substantial - manufacturers end up spending significant amounts yearly just to get data." – Denis Gontcharov
• "Something has to give - your profit margins are really not that outstanding. Why not just get the data and measure what you want to improve? Otherwise you won't." – Denis Gontcharov

Resources:

• 🔗 Follow the show: Smart Metals Podcast
• 🔗 About Denis Gontcharov: gontcharov.eu
• 🔗 About Luke van Enkhuizen: Sheet Metal Connect
• 🔗 About Brian Pribe: LinkedIn Profile
• 🔗 MACH Controls LLC: machcontrols.com
• 🔗 Email Brian: bpribe@machcontrols.com
• 🔗 Join the Community: Find Brian on United Manufacturing Hub's discord or 4.0 Solutions discord

Sharing is caring!
If you liked this episode, please consider sharing it with some friends or colleagues who might find it useful. Thank you! 😊

Would you like to help?
Did this show help you with new ideas for your business? Then rate the show on iTunes or Spotify. This helps people like you find the show and us to be able to book more guests with industry specialists and top solution providers. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this episode of the Smart Metals Podcast, hosts Denis Gontcharov and Luke van Enkhuizen welcome Todd Abraham from InnoVaas. They dive into digital transformation within the metals industry, focusing on the Unified Namespace’s growing influence in Asia and Europe. The discussion covers enabling technologies like Apache Kafka and MQTT, cultural differences in technology adoption, and how agile approaches help smaller companies innovate. The episode concludes with advice on navigating digital transformation and the importance of structured data for machine learning.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Smart Metals Podcast
00:49 Meet Todd Abraham from InnoVaas
02:39 Unified Namespace in Asia vs. Europe
05:08 Cultural Dynamics in Technology Adoption
06:39 The Role of Innovation in Global Markets
11:50 Digital Transformation Strategies
41:53 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

Notable Quotes:

"Building the Unified Namespace is about doing the work upfront to contextualize and normalize your data, so it’s ready when you need it for machine learning." — Todd Abraham
"You can’t just hand a data engineer a pile of disorganized data and expect results. Structuring your data from the beginning makes everything, including machine learning, much more effective." — Luke van Enkhuizen
"Don’t boil the ocean. Break digital transformation into small, actionable steps, creating value incrementally." — Todd Abraham
"We act as Sherpas, guiding companies through digital transformation, but they still have to walk the path themselves." — Denis Gontcharov
"The agile, smaller organizations are the ones that will thrive in the future, as larger corporations struggle to adapt." — Todd Abraham

Key Takeaways:

• Start small: Focus on solving a key problem incrementally for faster success.
• Use open-source tech: Platforms like Apache Kafka and MQTT are crucial for real-time data integration.
• Real-time visibility: Structured data upfront simplifies the digital transformation process and accelerates machine learning.

Relevant Links:

• 🔗 Follow the show
• 🔗 About Todd Abraham
• 🔗 About Denis Gontcharov
• 🔗 About Luke van Enkhuizen
• 🔗 InnoVaas

Sharing is Caring!

If you liked this episode, please consider sharing it with some friends or colleagues who might find it useful. Thank you! 😊

Would You Like to Help?

Did this show help you with new ideas for your business? Then rate the show on iTunes or Spotify. This helps people like you find the show and helps us book more guests with industry specialists and top solution providers. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this episode of the Smart Metals podcast, we (Denis Gontcharov and Luke Van Enkhuizen) had the pleasure of hosting Wim Dijkgraaf, founder and CEO of Quotation Factory. We discussed the challenges and solutions in high mix, low volume manufacturing, focusing on the impact of Event-Driven Architectures (EDA) and Unified Namespace (UNS) in transforming the metalworking industry.

Wim shared how Quotation Factory leverages advanced systems to estimate production times, streamline operations, and enhance responsiveness.

We also dove into the concept of semantic hierarchy and explored the potential for AI in building autonomous, smart factories. The episode wraps up with insights on how these architectures can make manufacturers more agile, reliable, and ready for digital transformation.

Timestamps:
- 00:13 Introduction and Guest Welcome
- 00:32 Wim Dijkgraaf's Background and Quotation Factory Overview
- 02:07 Challenges in High Mix, Low Volume Manufacturing
- 03:31 Manual Processes and Data Integration Issues
- 10:42 Event-Driven Architecture and Its Benefits
- 18:19 Unified Namespace and Semantic Hierarchy
- 35:31 Conclusion and Future Prospects

Notable Quotes:
1. "If you create point-to-point connections, both parties should understand the world on the other side. This creates complexity and increases the time and cost of integrations. That's why event-driven architecture adds value." – Wim Dijkgraaf
2. "Many metalworking companies believe they have a lot of data because it’s in their ERP. But to become a smart factory, the critical information is actually the events happening in real time." – Wim Dijkgraaf
3. "You want to observe and store events as they happen, with all the necessary data tied to that moment. That's what a good data strategy is about—capturing events." – Wim Dijkgraaf
4. "When there’s a manufacturing issue, like a standstill or quality concern, you need data from several systems to identify the root cause. If you rely only on the ERP, you lose real-time insight." – Luke Van Enkhuizen
5. "The Unified Namespace allows all your data—whether from sensors or MES systems—to be unified in one place. This semantic hierarchy makes it easy for both humans and machines to navigate and understand the data." – Denis Gontcharov

Relevant Links:
- 🔗 Follow the show: [https://smartmetals.transistor.fm/](https://smartmetals.transistor.fm/)
- 🔗 About Denis Gontcharov: [https://gontcharov.eu/](https://gontcharov.eu/)
- 🔗 About Luke Van Enkhuizen: [https://sheetmetalconnect.com/](https://sheetmetalconnect.com/)
- 🔗 About Wim Dijkgraaf and Quotation Factory: [https://www.quotationfactory.com/en/](https://www.quotationfactory.com/en/)