Novakon Solutions

Digitalizing Legacy factories with Novakon's GW-01 Industrial IoT Protocol Conversion Gateway

Introduction

As the industrial sector advances towards digital transformation and Industry 4.0, integrating legacy equipment and infrastructure into modern IoT frameworks presents a significant challenge. Factories that have operated for decades with a diverse array of equipment and underlying infrastructures from various manufacturers often face complex data integration issues. Novakon addresses this challenge with its GW-01 Industrial IoT Protocol Conversion Gateway, a solution designed to digitalize legacy systems and facilitate seamless data integration across industrial environments, bringing this capability directly to the shop floor with ease and cost-effectiveness.

Challenges

A system integrator was tasked with helping an old factory, operational for over 20 years, achieve digital transformation. The factory utilized a variety of equipment and had established infrastructures from different brands, each with its own unique communication protocols, making it difficult to unify OT data for compatibility with modern IT systems like SCADA, MES, ERP, and Clouds.

Solution

To tackle this challenge, the system integrator selected Novakon's GW-01 Industrial IoT Protocol Conversion Gateway. The GW-01 supports drivers for over 90% of PLCs and a wide range of IT/OT communication protocols, making it the ideal solution for integrating the factory's diverse equipment and infrastructure into a cohesive IoT system. Its easy setup and integration process make it particularly suited for deployment directly on the shop floor, without incurring significant costs or requiring extensive technical expertise.

The implementation of the GW-01 was smooth and efficient. Connected to the factory's legacy devices, the gateway's extensive driver database quickly enabled communication across different systems. It seamlessly collected data from machinery, sensors, power meters, lighting, and HVAC systems, ensuring compatibility and enhanced interoperability across various brands and infrastructure levels.

The GW-01 provided real-time monitoring and control, displaying equipment status, operational events, and alarms on a unified interface. This allowed for immediate responses to any errors, minimizing downtime and ensuring seamless operations. The gateway also processed and transmitted OT data to cloud platforms, enabling advanced analytics and integration with IT systems such as MES and ERP.

Novakon's GW-01 Industrial IoT Protocol Conversion Gateway has proven to be a critical tool in the digital transformation of legacy industrial systems and infrastructures. By enabling seamless integration of diverse equipment and simplifying data conversion, the GW-01 gateway empowers factories to harness the full potential of their existing assets, driving operational efficiency and supporting the evolution of the industrial sector. Importantly, its straightforward deployment makes it an accessible and cost-effective solution for shop floor integration, bringing advanced digital capabilities to the heart of industrial operations.