Manufacturing Hub

In this special ProveIt edition of Manufacturing Hub, Vlad Romanoff and Dave Griffith sit down with Amy Williams from Skellig Automation to unpack Enterprise C, a life sciences virtual factory built to look and feel like the reality inside many regulated facilities today. If you work around batch processes, compliance, historian projects, electronic batch records, or industrial data architecture, this conversation is a practical walkthrough of what it actually takes to turn raw signals into a story you can defend, improve, and scale.
Amy has spent years working exclusively in life sciences manufacturing, starting deep in DeltaV automation for batch pharma and moving into digital transformation projects that focus on open architectures, modern data pipelines, and real operational outcomes. In this episode, she explains what Enterprise C is simulating, why it was designed as an Industry 3.0 style biotech startup, and what kind of data and documentation a vendor would have to wrestle with in the real world. The factory is producing a fictional enzyme using a fed batch fermentation process, and the UNS publishes realistic one second resolution batch data across four pieces of single use equipment including a mixer, a bioreactor, a chromatography skid, and a TFF skid.
One of the most valuable parts of this episode is the reminder that data sitting in an MQTT broker is not inherently valuable. The value comes when the data is contextualized enough that different teams can use it without tribal knowledge, and when the resulting traceability helps you answer the questions that matter in life sciences. What happened during the batch, what changed compared to previous runs, what went out of spec, what documentation proves compliance, and what you should do next time to avoid losing a batch that can cost millions. Amy also explains why Enterprise C intentionally includes uncontextualized tags and paper files, because that is exactly where many facilities still are. The hard part is not connecting a sensor, the hard part is governance, agreement, and building a model that humans actually follow.
You will also hear the crew dig into Smart Manufacturing Profiles and why standardizing information models is one of the clearest paths toward true interoperability. If you are tired of every site, every integrator, and every project reinventing the same pump, valve, and equipment model from scratch, this is the kind of conversation that helps frame why that problem keeps repeating and what might finally reduce it. The ProveIt format forces the questions that most conferences avoid, including what problem was solved, how it was done, how long it took, and what it cost. That is exactly why this conference has become a magnet for practitioners who care about the difference between a demo and a deployable solution.
About the hosts
Vlad Romanoff is an industrial automation and manufacturing systems expert and the founder of Joltek. He has over a decade of experience modernizing control systems, data infrastructure, and plant operations across regulated and high throughput manufacturing environments.
Dave Griffith is the cohost of Manufacturing Hub and a long time practitioner in industrial automation and manufacturing technology, focused on practical deployment and what actually works on the plant floor.
About the guest
Amy Williams works with Skellig Automation and has spent years in life sciences manufacturing, from DeltaV batch automation to digital transformation initiatives that focus on open architectures, data contextualization, and scalable modernization strategies.
Timestamps
 00:00 ProveIt edition intro and why this month is technology modernization
 01:40 Who is Amy Williams and why Enterprise C matters this year
 02:10 Amy’s background in life sciences, DeltaV, and digital transformation
 03:30 Unified Namespace explained in plain language for life sciences
 05:10 What Enterprise C publishes and what you will see in the MQTT broker
 07:10 Why UNS in life sciences is about use cases, not buzzwords
 10:10 Smart Manufacturing Profiles and reducing data model reinvention
 11:10 What outcomes to expect including compliance and golden batch analysis
 12:10 Enterprise C process overview from mixer to bioreactor to downstream
 14:10 Bioreactor instrumentation and what operators still do manually
 19:40 Why Enterprise C data is intentionally not contextualized
 22:10 The real work of mapping signals to compliance stories and governance
 25:10 What SM Profiles enable and why schema matters before data arrives
 31:30 Why cost and time questions change everything at ProveIt
 36:10 Cell counter files, batch records, and paper driven reality in many sites
 45:10 What life sciences attendees should ask during Q and A
 58:30 Vendors the team is excited to see and why non traditional players matter
 01:02:20 Where to find Skellig at the conference and what they are bringing
References and links mentioned
 Skellig Automation
 https://www.skellig.com/
ProveIt Conference
 https://www.proveitconference.com/
CESMII Smart Manufacturing Profiles and Marketplace
 https://www.cesmii.org/technology/sm-profiles/
https://marketplace.cesmii.net/

Joltek resources related to this episode
 Mastering Unified Namespace https://www.joltek.com/blog/mastering-unified-namespace-uns-a-guide-to-data-driven-manufacturing-transformation
 Ultimate Guide to MQTT in Manufacturing https://www.joltek.com/blog/ultimate-guide-mqtt-manufacturing

Subscribe and follow Manufacturing Hub for more conversations on technology modernization, UNS architecture, MQTT, industrial data systems, and how real factories actually evolve when the goal is uptime, compliance, and measurable outcomes.

In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, Vlad Romanov and Dave Griffith sit down with David for a practical, operator grounded conversation about industrial data, modernization, and what it actually takes to turn plant floor signals into business decisions. David has spent more than two decades in manufacturing across automotive, solar, and electric vehicles, and his story is a familiar one for a lot of us. He walked into a plant thinking he was there for a project, discovered PLCs in real time, and never left the factory world. From early days wiring up a SQL Server to pull line data instead of sending people out with stopwatches, to leading data and analytics and shaping MES and reporting strategy, this conversation stays focused on the messy middle where most factories live.
A big theme here is that collecting data is not the same thing as creating information. As tooling has improved, connectivity, historians, SCADA, cloud storage, MQTT, and the modern ecosystem have made it easier to get signals out of machines. The hard part is deciding what matters, aligning stakeholders, and creating context that survives across teams and projects. David breaks down how real progress often starts with simple visibility, what is ruining your day, what is the biggest safety risk, what is the recurring quality miss, what is the downtime story you do not trust, then builds from there using workshops and iterative delivery instead of giant multi year “boil the ocean” programs.
We also get into Unified Namespace, why it resonates with people who have been burned by tightly coupled ISA style integrations, and why change management is the hidden cost. If you are exploring UNS, this episode highlights the difference between drawing the box on a whiteboard and getting a whole organization to actually adopt consistent naming, context, and ownership. Then we finish with a grounded take on industrial AI. No hype, no doom. Just a realistic view of where AI helps today, where it breaks, and why context windows, documentation quality, and domain expertise still decide whether results are useful or dangerous.
Timestamps
00:00:00 Welcome and the month theme on technology modernization
00:02:10 David’s background from automotive and the Tesla Fremont NUMMI era to data leadership
00:05:10 The moment data became “real” and why proactive visibility drives safety and outcomes
00:07:10 How Kaizen and Toyota Production System style problem solving creates demand for data
00:11:50 Why modern tooling makes collection easier and why budget and commitment still decide success
00:16:10 Starting points that work in the real world and the simplest visibility model that scales
00:18:20 Unified Namespace explained through decoupling, context, and why the first attempt often fails
00:23:50 Who really uses the data, operators, quality, engineering, and the “next factory” teams
00:29:10 Defining KPIs when nobody has answers and using workshops to force prioritization
00:34:20 What rollouts actually take, machine states, data structures, controls changes, and iteration
00:40:10 Industrial AI reality check, where it helps today and why it is not running your factory
00:51:10 Predicting the next few years, consolidation, pricing, and better integration with agents
About the hosts
Vlad Romanov is an industrial automation and manufacturing leader with over a decade of plant floor experience across major manufacturers. He is the founder of Joltek, where he helps teams modernize operations through IT and OT architecture, integration, reliability focused execution, and practical upskilling that actually sticks. Joltek works with manufacturers who need real outcomes, not buzzwords, and the work spans controls, data, networking, and operational performance.
Dave Griffith is the co host of Manufacturing Hub and works at the intersection of manufacturing operations, technology modernization, and practical delivery. He focuses on helping teams bridge the gap between “we want data” and “we can run this plant better next quarter.”
About the guest
David has 25 plus years of manufacturing experience spanning automotive, solar manufacturing, and EVs. He started in plant floor automation and conveyance projects, then moved deeper into industrial data, MES, and analytics leadership. His recent work includes leading data and analytics, defining KPI strategy, and building the layers required to turn raw plant signals into usable business information.
Links from Joltek
https://www.joltek.com/blog/mastering-unified-namespace-uns-a-guide-to-data-driven-manufacturing-transformation
https://www.joltek.com/blog/ultimate-guide-mqtt-manufacturing

Subscribe for more conversations on manufacturing modernization, industrial data architecture, MES realities, and what works on the plant floor when the budget, people, and legacy systems are all real.

In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, Vlad Romanov and Dave Griffith sit down with Benson Hougland from Opto 22 to get brutally practical about what is actually running on shop floors today, and what it takes to move from legacy automation to modern, data ready operations without breaking what already works. If you have ever walked into a plant and seen a mix of decades old controllers, manual processes, islands of automation, and a few shiny modern pockets of connectivity, this conversation will feel very familiar. Benson has spent roughly three decades at Opto 22 and he has seen the full spectrum, from brownfield realities where nothing can go down, to greenfield expansions where teams can finally design with data, security, and integration in mind.
A major thread in this discussion is the gap between “the machine runs” and “the business can learn from the machine.” Benson lays out why so many facilities still operate in a world of siloed equipment with minimal visibility, and why digital transformation stalls when the goal is vague or driven by trend chasing. The most actionable insight is simple: start with a real problem, win small, build trust in the data, and only then scale. That approach is how you avoid proof of concept purgatory, and it is also how you get leadership buy in without overpromising. If you are looking at industrial AI, it becomes even more critical, because manufacturing cannot tolerate hallucinated answers. Benson explains why industrial AI starts with sanctity of data, meaning clean, contextualized, trustworthy signals that an organization can actually act on.
You will also hear a grounded take on why hardware still matters in 2026. Not because everyone wants to rip and replace working PLCs, but because modern plants need layered edge strategies that can extract the right data, protect legacy assets, and integrate upward using open methods.
About the guest
Benson Hougland is a long time leader at Opto 22, a US based manufacturer of industrial controllers, edge devices, and IO. He focuses on customer and integrator feedback, product strategy, and the practical challenges teams face when modernizing systems while keeping operations running. Opto 22 is known for building and manufacturing in the United States and for leaning into open connectivity approaches that help reduce lock in and simplify integration.
About the hosts
Vlad Romanov is an electrical engineer with an MBA from McGill University and over a decade of experience delivering automation and modernization work across high performing manufacturing environments. Through Joltek, Vlad supports manufacturers with plant floor assessments, controls and OT architecture, system modernization planning, integration execution, and technical upskilling so teams can own their systems long term. Vlad’s work consistently sits at the intersection of reliability, operational execution, and the realities of IT and OT convergence, with a focus on what is feasible in real facilities, not just what looks good in a slide deck.
Dave Griffith is a long time manufacturing and automation practitioner focused on bridging the gap between modern technology conversations and what is practical on the plant floor. Dave brings a systems mindset to modernization, with a strong emphasis on outcomes, maintainability, and the human factors that decide whether projects scale or stall.
If this episode resonates and you are navigating modernization decisions, especially around OT networking, data infrastructure, platform selection, or plant floor security, Joltek can help you evaluate your current state, define a realistic target architecture, and build a roadmap that your team can execute.
Joltek links
https://www.joltek.com/services
https://www.joltek.com/education/ot-networking-fundamentals

Timestamps
00:00:00 Welcome back and the hardware focused modernization theme
00:01:40 Benson Hougland background, entrepreneur to controls to Opto 22
00:04:10 A garage manufacturing story and the lessons of building real product
00:09:00 The gap between cutting edge plants and manual, siloed operations
00:11:10 What actually blocks modernization, capital, planning, and alignment
00:13:10 Start small, solve a real problem, and build trust in outcomes
00:14:40 Proof of concept purgatory and why leadership buy in changes everything
00:17:50 Industrial AI needs data, and data integrity becomes the non negotiable
00:22:30 Obsolescence, cybersecurity, and simplifying the industrial tech stack
00:28:20 Cybersecurity is a process, not a product, and why defaults are deadly
00:37:10 Linux at the edge, containers, and why modern controllers are like smartphones
00:53:10 ProveIt and the virtual factories approach, real data, real integration paths

Technology modernization in manufacturing is not a list of shiny tools. It is a sequencing problem. In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, Vlad Romanov and Dave Griffith break down why the executive vision for AI often collides with the reality of the plant floor, and what a practical path forward actually looks like when you account for data quality, legacy controls, networking, and the true cost of integration.
A core theme in this conversation is imperfect information. Leaders often believe the data already exists because reports exist. But a stack of paper, a few spreadsheets, or a single counter value is not the same as contextualized, trustworthy history that can drive decisions or support advanced analytics. Vlad and Dave walk through why foundational work matters, what teams usually miss during modernization, and how quickly the bill grows when you discover your architecture is outdated, undocumented, or full of dependencies you cannot see until you open panels and start tracing signals.
You will also hear a grounded debate on how to think about SCADA, MES, historians, dashboards, and what it would actually mean to “feed data into AI” in a manufacturing context. The takeaway is simple. If you want better outcomes, you need a better understanding of your current state, a clear business case, and a roadmap that prioritizes what matters operationally. Modernization is not one big upgrade. It is a series of decisions that either reduce friction or create it.
About the hosts
Vlad Romanov is an industrial automation and manufacturing expert focused on plant assessments, controls and data architecture, IT and OT integration, and workforce upskilling. Vlad has over 10 years of experience across large manufacturers and complex multi site environments, working from PLC and HMI layers up through SCADA, MES, and ERP integration programs. He is the founder of Joltek, where the mission is to help manufacturers modernize safely, build internal capability, and deliver results that actually survive handoff to operations.
Learn more about Joltek
https://www.joltek.com
https://www.joltek.com/services
Dave Griffith is an industrial automation practitioner and consultant who works closely with manufacturers to modernize legacy environments, improve reliability, and build practical systems that operators and maintenance teams can support. Dave brings a strong perspective on what is feasible in real plants, where uptime, risk, budget, and organizational readiness drive every decision.
Timestamps
00:00:00 Welcome and why this month is about technology modernization
00:02:10 The real problem with “just add AI” in manufacturing
00:04:15 Quick background on Vlad and Dave and the work they do
00:05:25 The disconnect between the perfect factory vision and the plant floor
00:06:25 Vlad on business cases, integration reality, and infrastructure gaps
00:09:05 Dave on imperfect information and why reports are not data
00:14:35 What executives actually want from AI and why it is often about people constraints
00:20:25 How to get there, hardware first, data normalization, and context
00:22:05 Vlad on assessments, legacy hardware, and why upgrades get complicated fast
00:39:00 New facility planning mistakes and why early decisions lock you in
00:45:10 You have the data, now what, OEE baselines, bottlenecks, and root causes
00:58:10 Final takeaways, inventory your architecture and treat data like an asset
References and links mentioned
Manufacturing Hub Podcast
https://www.manufacturinghub.live
ProveIt Conference
https://www.proveitconference.com
Automate Show
https://www.automateshow.com
Ignition Community Conference
https://icc.inductiveautomation.com
If you are watching on YouTube, subscribe so you do not miss the rest of this month’s deep dives on hardware, data teams, and practical applications that actually work on real plant floors.

In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, hosts Vlad Romanov and Dave Griffith welcome back Amos Purdy for a wide ranging conversation that connects plant floor reality with SCADA, MES, and the business decisions that actually fund modernization. Amos shares his path from early software and programming work into industrial automation, including building an industrial automation class and lab, leading MES and SCADA efforts, and working across industries where the pace, constraints, and validation expectations can feel like completely different worlds. If you have ever wondered why a solution that looks obvious on a whiteboard takes months or years to land on a production line, this episode breaks down the human, technical, and financial reasons in plain terms.
A big thread throughout the conversation is what it takes to build systems that last. The group digs into hiring and mentoring for Ignition based teams, what backgrounds translate well, and why “hobbyist energy” can be a real superpower in interviews and on the job. The practical takeaway is simple: credentials help you get in the door, but projects help you stand out, especially when you can explain the problem, the architecture, and the tradeoffs you made. The conversation also gets real about legacy plants, where the constraint is often not ambition but risk, ROI, and operational disruption. The group frames modernization as a sequence of targeted moves that improve data availability, reduce cybersecurity exposure, and create a foundation for future applications without betting the entire facility on a massive rip and replace.
You will also hear a grounded take on AI in industrial settings. The panel separates what is useful today from what is still hype, and explains why industrial AI needs context, standards, and purpose built training data to be trusted. They connect that to the “data transparency” problem: companies want answers faster, but the hard part is making the data accessible, reliable, and safe in the first place. The episode closes with a discussion on EV and battery manufacturing trends, the reality of global standards and certification, and what the next few years could look like as edge devices, connectivity, and power systems evolve.
Hosts
Vlad Romanov is an industrial automation and manufacturing systems expert focused on SCADA, MES, OT data infrastructure, and modernization strategy. He combines electrical engineering depth with an MBA from McGill University to help manufacturers reduce risk, improve reliability, and turn plant data into decision ready information. He leads Joltek, where he delivers assessments, integration roadmaps, and practical upskilling for engineering and operations teams.
Dave Griffith
Manufacturing and automation leader focused on bridging business outcomes with engineering execution, change management, and scalable plant systems.
Guest
Amos Purdy
MBA and electrical engineering background with deep experience across industrial automation, SCADA, MES, and manufacturing intelligence, including leading teams and deployments in both legacy and greenfield environments.
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to Manufacturing Hub and why this episode sets up the upcoming modernization theme
02:20 Amos Purdy returns and reintroduces his background
03:00 From early programming to industrial automation, lab building, and MES leadership
09:40 Switching industries and why vertical experience is often overvalued
12:40 Hiring and mentoring for Ignition, web skills vs plant floor instincts
16:10 AI vs fundamentals, why legacy tech knowledge still matters
17:20 Growing teams and how managers should match work to strengths
20:10 How candidates stand out, hobby projects and real systems thinking
22:50 Technology modernization, data visibility, and cybersecurity as the forcing function
31:50 The real bottlenecks, selling ROI, scoping, and avoiding project blowouts
37:30 AI readiness in industry, what works today and what is not there yet
41:00 EV and battery manufacturing, investment, standards, and what changes on the shop floor
50:40 Predictions for the future, edge devices, connectivity, and more data everywhere
54:20 Book recommendation and why macro trends matter for engineers
56:00 Where to find Amos and what to reach out about
References and links mentioned
Ignition by Inductive Automation
https://inductiveautomation.com/ignition
Ignition SCADA overview
https://inductiveautomation.com/scada-software
Inductive University training
https://inductiveuniversity.com
ProveIt Conference 2026 details
https://www.proveitconference.com
Edison Motors
https://www.edisonmotors.ca
2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything by Mauro F. Guillén
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250772213/2030howtodaysbiggesttrendswillcollideandreshapethefutureofeverything/
https://www.joltek.com/services
https://www.joltek.com/education/ot-networking-fundamentals