Insights
Practical notes from the shop floor on control systems, upgrades, robotics and data.
These articles answer the questions manufacturers ask us most: what to do about an obsolete PLC with no OEM support, how long an upgrade will stop production, which platform to choose for a new machine, whether a process suits a robot, and how to get useful production data from equipment old and new.
Each one is written from real projects on food, dairy, building materials, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sites across Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK, covering Mitsubishi, Siemens and Allen Bradley PLCs, ABB and Universal Robots, and Ignition SCADA. For the work behind them, see our legacy upgrades, control systems, robotic systems and SCADA and data pages, or browse our recent projects.
29 October 2026 · 3 min read
The hidden risks of legacy equipment in your factory
Old machines that still run well can hide obsolete controls, missing backups and lost knowledge. Here is how to find the risks before a breakdown finds them for you.
29 October 2026 · 3 min read
OEE without a big project: a practical start for smaller manufacturers
What OEE measures, the data you actually need, how to collect it from machines old and new, and how to start with one line instead of a site-wide project.
28 October 2026 · 2 min read
Replacing the production spreadsheet with a live KPI dashboard
Why hand-filled production sheets let you down, what a live KPI dashboard should show, and how to build one from the machines you already have.
28 October 2026 · 2 min read
How we upgrade an obsolete PLC without a long shutdown
The five steps we follow to replace an end-of-life PLC and HMI, keep the machine working the way operators know, and keep the time on site short.
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