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C-Labs understands the Internet of Things (IoT). The underlying technology is straightforward, but the implementation depends on context, application, and business need.
For example, factory floors are very different from offices. Pushing a security update to a production line Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) during manufacturing could lead to disaster. And exposing that same PLC to the internet could make it vulnerable to viruses and theft of intellectual property.
Likewise, unlike consumer-grade solutions, enterprises are not yet comfortable making their industrial processes dependent upon an internet connection and storing and processing data in a third-party cloud service. Requiring an internet connection to retrieve data from a local machine makes business processes vulnerable to communication outages and increases operating costs. And storing and processing data in the cloud, while often a good choice for historical analysis, can introduce real-time bottlenecks and reduce operational efficiency.
The C-Labs approach is based on three principles:
Simplify communication between operations and enterprise IT
Technology is everywhere in modern business. No longer the domain of PCs and servers, IT organizations must be able to embrace and connect to industrial automation systems and bridge traditional "corporate" systems to "operations" systems. This has proven challenging to many organizations, regardless of size or budget. Enterprise IT policies designed to protect and secure corporate systems can be inappropriate for industrial machines. And many industrial machines were designed to be run on isolated networks, beyond the reach of the corporate network or the public internet.
For industrial automation systems to run efficiently and effectively, the gap between industrial operations and enterprise IT services must be bridged. This must be done properly to ensure both data security for IT and functional performance for industrial systems. C-Labs provides technology which makes it possible to connect industrial automation systems in a way that is compliant with enterprise IT policies, protecting data and ensuring efficient operations. This technology is available from C-Labs in off-the-shelf solutions which are secure, scalable, and simple-to-use.
To find out more about how to use the IoT to collect and distribute business intelligence in your operations, please Contact Us.
Distribute Business Intelligence where it is needed
While manufacturing systems have made great strides in the past 20 years, many factories still run on disconnected and isolated systems within each plant and in distributed multi-plant operations. IT systems that pull together financial, sales, and order data (CRM) are often disconnected with the work done on the factory floor. In many cases, this is by design to maintain security and keep the factory running smoothly.
In the IoT era, business decision makers must access complex data to be aware of production capacities and bottlenecks, and to be able to effectively collaborate globally. These business decision makers must be able to easily understand this data, which comes from multiple data sources, without being experts in each Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), or Manufacturing Execution System (MES) in operation.
This easy to understand data must be accessible both in the office and in the terminal of an airport. C-DEngine effectively takes key data from disparate systems and aggregates that data in a distributed infrastructure such as a private or a public cloud. The C-DEngine technology allows this to happen without cumbersome VPN infrastructures while adhering to company security protocols. This real-time data can be used and stored for both current and future analysis.
As the IoT enables more devices in various operational contexts to become "smart" and connected, manufacturers will be able to deliver an entirely new set of services that are specific to both the application of a product and the use of that product-for example, remote diagnostics and maintenance services in industrial equipment and construction equipment.
To find out more about how to use the IoT to collect and distribute business intelligence in your operations, please Contact Us.
Just like the world of consumer electronics, smart interconnected sensors, actuators, and controllers are becoming the norm in factories and large-scale infrastructure systems. Helping drive this conversion is the combination of reductions in cost and energy consumption together with increases in processing power and communication capabilities for these intelligent devices. These devices deliver high performance and are fully network capable, enabling the Internet of Things (IoT) which was previously impractical. For example, electric meters are not new, nor is the desire to know up-to-date energy consumption. But recent advances have made smart meters, which record and communicate energy consumption in real time, both technically possible and economically viable.
C-DEngine makes it possible to effectively monitor and manage this network of smart interconnected devices, whether you need to monitor and control the performance of a single small machine in small plant, a system of synchronized cranes at a job site, or a string of manufacturing plants around the globe. Our patent-pending technology enables monitoring of device and service KPIs and health indicators locally or remotely. This can result in faster response to unexpected conditions, reduced downtime, higher equipment utilization, and increased operational efficiency.
To find out more about how to C-Labs can harness the IoT to increase the operational efficiency of your operations, please Contact Us.
C-Labs approach is based on years of industrial automation and embedded software experience. Forget the buzzwords. If you want to connect equipment to the IoT, connect industrial systems to corporate IT, or find out more about what the IoT means for your business, please Contact Us.
Industrial Automation
A flexible and integrated plant floor and IT infrastructure helps manufacturers and suppliers improve and streamline the key tasks in producing products and getting them to market quickly.
C-Labs software solutions help manufacturers increase efficiencies, respond to market changes, and address new industry and production trends.
C-Labs Factory-Relay simplifies the task of connecting sensors, devices, and services together to give you a complete picture of your operational system.
Custom Solutions
Embedded Software for OEMs
Embedded Software for OEMs
Extending your existing OEM product to enable IoT connectivity can be daunting. There are many challenges, including security, "viral" software licensing, and connectivity with so many protocol options and competing standards. C-Labs can deliver the core connectivity software you need, freeing your engineering team to work on your particular application.
Think of C-Labs embedded software components just like any other supplier component assembled into your final product. C-Labs can deliver "white label" software components that carry your own unique branding, yet work with the existing plug-ins available for the C-Labs product ecosystem.
For information about developing a custom solution to be embedded into your own product, please Contact Us.
Plug-in SDK
Plug-in SDK
C-Labs Factory-Relay is built in a flexible, extensible architecture with a familiar plug-in model. Plug-ins can be developed to support additional communication protocols or device types, new user interface elements, data ingestion for analytics, storage methods and archiving, or pretty much anything you can imagine. Even off-the-shelf consumer products, such as switches, lights, thermostats, security cameras, Microsoft Kinect units, DLNA media equipment, and much more, can be accommodated via a plug-in.
In addition to using off-the-shelf plug-ins for common industrial protocols and user interface elements, you can develop your own plug-ins using the C-Labs Factory-Relay SDK, or have C-Labs develop them for you.
For more information about what plug-ins are available and what SDK options are available to you, please Contact Us.
