UNS Architectrue tailored to Small to Mid-Sized Manufacturers
MACH Controls’ Managed UNS|Edge Deployment is tailored for small to mid-sized manufacturers seeking a cost-effective, intuitive way to adopt a Unified Namespace architecture. By leveraging open-source tools such as the United Manufacturing Hub (UMH), Node-RED, and Grafana, MACH Controls enables quick, scalable data collection and processing at the edge. The solution emphasizes low total cost of ownership, minimal resource requirements, and the flexibility to grow alongside a manufacturer’s evolving operational needs.
What is the ProveIt! Conference?
ProveIt! is where industrial leaders prove their solutions in real-time by integrating them with a simulated Unified Namespace (UNS) virtual factory, solving real-world challenges and showcasing the power of Industry 4.0 technologies.
Problem Definition
-
What specific manufacturing problem will your solution address?
Small and mid-sized manufacturers often face limited budgets, small IT/engineering teams, and the complexity of integrating diverse data sources. Traditional UNS implementations can be prohibitive in terms of both cost and expertise required. MACH Controls tackles these barriers by providing a Managed UNS|Edge Deployment that simplifies connecting machinery, collecting data, and visualizing KPIs. -
Why is solving this problem critical for manufacturers?
Without efficient, real-time insight into machine performance and production metrics, these manufacturers risk machine downtime, inefficient processes, and an inability to scale. By offering a straightforward edge deployment model, MACH Controls helps organizations leverage modern Industry 4.0 practices—like OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) tracking—without the steep learning curve or hefty price tag typically associated with such solutions.
Solution Description
-
How will your solution integrate with the ProveIt! virtual factory?
MACH Controls will deploy a single edge device (supporting up to five connected assets) and one cloud-based UNS instance. Using the United Manufacturing Hub (UMH) as the backbone, data is ingested from the factory’s MQTT, OPC UA, and SQL endpoints. Through Portainer, attendees will see how to manage both the UNS and edge devices. All collected data will be transformed and contextualized, then published to the Unified Namespace for easy downstream consumption. -
What technologies (software, hardware, tools) will you use?
- United Manufacturing Hub (UMH) for ingestion and data handling
- Portainer for container and device management
- Node-RED and Grafana for data processing and visualization
- TimescaleDB for time-series data storage
- MQTT, OPC-UA, IO-LINK protocols for device connectivity
-
Will you be leveraging any third-party tools or services?
Yes. Many components come from the UMH ecosystem and ProveIt! sponsors—like HiveMQ (MQTT broker) and Tailscale (network connectivity). This ensures an open, flexible architecture well-suited for the resource constraints of smaller operations. -
Include a high-level overview of your system architecture
- Edge Device (On-premise) – Collects data from up to five assets via MQTT, OPC-UA, or IO-LINK.
- UMH + Portainer – Cloud-based environment for data ingestion, transformation, and device/container management.
- TimescaleDB – Stores historical data for trending and analytics.
- Node-RED & Grafana – Processes data and delivers real-time dashboards for OEE, machine status, and other KPIs.
- Unified Namespace – Publishes structured data back to the factory for consumption by other systems.
Data Requirements
-
What data will your solution require from the virtual factory?
- Machine Status & Sensor Readings (e.g., throughput, temperature, vibration)
- Production Metrics (e.g., counts, run times, downtime events)
- Historical Data from SQL queries for context and analysis
-
Which MQTT topics, SQL data points, or OPC endpoints will you interact with?
This will depend on the available data points from the ProveIt! factory. MACH Controls will integrate relevant MQTT topics for real-time telemetry, SQL data for historical trending, and OPC-UA endpoints for on-premise device connections. -
What new data will your solution generate, and how will it be published back to the Unified Namespace?
The solution will calculate metrics like OEE, downtime events, and other performance insights. These will be published to the Unified Namespace (via MQTT) for real-time visibility and integration with other ProveIt! participant solutions.
Integration Points
-
How will your solution connect to the following virtual factory systems?
- MQTT (HiveMQ Broker): The edge device and UMH will communicate with the HiveMQ broker to subscribe to real-time data streams and publish processed insights.
- SQL (PostgreSQL Database): UMH components will query production and historical data stored in PostgreSQL. This data will be merged with live sensor data to power real-time dashboards.
- OPC UA (Factory Simulation): The edge device will use OPC UA drivers to connect directly to the virtual factory’s simulated machines, ingesting real-time data for immediate transformation and visualization.
-
Are there any specific connection or protocol configurations required?
MACH Controls will use secure MQTT channels, optimized SQL queries, and standardized OPC UA connections. Portainer helps manage configurations, ensuring quick deployment and minimal downtime.
Functional Requirements
-
List the key functional requirements of your solution:
- Real-time Data Ingestion & Processing from up to five assets via Edge Device
- Data Visualization & Dashboards (Grafana, Node-RED)
- Edge Device Management through Portainer
- Automated Deployment & Configuration for edge devices using UMH
- Alerts & Notifications for critical events (e.g., machine downtime)
- Scalability (easy expansion to more machines or cloud resources)
-
How will your solution’s functions interact with the virtual factory’s processes?
The edge device continuously gathers data from the factory floor. UMH processes and contextualizes that data, creating meaningful KPIs and alerts. Results are published back to the Unified Namespace, allowing the factory’s simulated environment—and other participating vendor solutions—to access consistent, real-time operational insights.
Testing and Validation
-
How will you test your solution to ensure it is functioning as expected within the virtual factory?
MACH Controls will perform end-to-end validation by simulating data ingestion from the virtual factory via MQTT, OPC UA, and SQL. The team will confirm data is processed accurately in UMH, displayed in Grafana dashboards, and republished to the Unified Namespace with the correct data structures. -
What validation criteria will you use to measure success (e.g., correct data flow, real-time feedback)?
- Correct Data Flow – Data appears in real-time dashboards with minimal latency.
- Alerts & Notifications – System triggers alarms when anomalies occur (e.g., machine downtime).
- OEE & KPI Accuracy – Calculated metrics match expected production metrics from the virtual factory.
- Scalability & Stability – Adding additional edge nodes and assets does not degrade performance or data integrity.
- Low TCO – System remains affordable and easy to manage for small teams without extra IT hires.
Preparing for ProveIt!
Explore how MACH Controls is enabling small to mid-sized manufacturers: Learn More Here
Join Us at ProveIt! Conference 2025
Be part of the manufacturing revolution with MACH Controls at ProveIt! Conference 2025, happening February 18–20 at the Westin Galleria in Dallas, TX.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see MACH Controls and other top vendors prove their solutions in real-world applications.
#ProveIt2025 #Industry4 #UnifiedNamespace #IIoT #MACHControls
Responses