Open standards also connect non-smart machines

Together, we went looking for an open way to link existing hardware to their Manufacturing Execution System (MES). As a basis, we eventually opted for a Unipi, a relatively inexpensive device that has a lot of options for connecting to all kinds of digital and analogue signals. Open source software can then translate those signals into the OPC-UA format, which in turn is an open standard for industrial communication. 

At Pedeo, we connected a robotic cell to the MES system in this way as a proof of concept and, in theory, almost any drill, press or small automation could be connected in this way in a broader digitalisation strategy. For this, we also worked out a manual that can facilitate such integrations, and make it available to other companies that want to work out similar integrations.