[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1922},["ShallowReactive",2],{"customer-story-stfi-future-of-textile-powered-by-node-red":3,"customer-stories-all":213},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"date":175,"description":176,"extension":177,"hubspot":178,"image":180,"logo":181,"meta":182,"navigation":196,"path":197,"seo":198,"stem":199,"story":200,"subtitle":181,"usecase":181,"__hash__":212},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fstfi-future-of-textile-powered-by-node-red.md","The Future of Textile Manufacturing Powered with Node-RED",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":172},"minimark",[9,33,42,57,80,94,109,112,139,149,152,161,169],[10,11,12,13,20,21,26,27,32],"p",{},"Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (",[14,15,19],"a",{"href":16,"rel":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.stfi.de\u002Fen\u002F",[18],"nofollow","STFI",") in Chemnitz is a German non-profit research institute that undertakes R&D projects on topics such as technical textiles, nonwovens, lightweight textile engineering, functionalization, recycling, digitalisation and Industry 4.0. STFI recently led ",[14,22,25],{"href":23,"rel":24},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FRL8QJWuY10c?feature=shared",[18],"futureTEX",", a German funded research consortium, which explored the future of textile products and manufacturing. As part of the research consortium, STFI created a ",[14,28,31],{"href":29,"rel":30},"https:\u002F\u002Fmy.matterport.com\u002Fshow\u002F?m=e6XJvoLS6mv&sr=-.95,1.4&ss=60",[18],"Model Factory"," to demonstrate end-to-end future textile manufacturing operations.",[10,34,35,41],{},[36,37],"img",{"alt":38,"src":39,"title":40},"\"The textile model factory for automated, networked and low-code-based digital production\"",".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fstfi-future-textile.jpg","The textile model factory for automated, networked and low-code-based digital production"," (ⒸSTFI\u002FD. Hanus)_",[10,43,44,45,50,51,56],{},"The Model Factory consists of a number of different manufacturing applications, including for instance a product configurator, systems for job control, and ",[14,46,49],{"href":47,"rel":48},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FyzK7vo6VpNU?si=YFhiaJTZpgmreU0c",[18],"location based carrier management",". Node-RED has been used for these applications to provide back end integration to different systems. For instance, the ",[14,52,55],{"href":53,"rel":54},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FcgtHO1OVkV8?si=CmbDHoMzlkAS6Siu",[18],"Product Configurator"," uses Node-RED to manage the login information and to forward a product definition to the control system and\u002For the ERP system. The ability to forward the product definition to different systems makes the application flexible enough to support different types of applications.",[10,58,59,64],{},[36,60],{"alt":61,"src":62,"title":61,"dataZoomable":63},"State-Machine and OPC-UA-Connection to the machines",".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fstfi-node-red-flow-opcua.png","",[65,66,67,68,73,74,79],"em",{},"Figure 2: ",[14,69,72],{"href":70,"rel":71},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FcgtHO1OVkV8?si=oTpLigbmfqlZ-8Bi&t=98",[18],"Job Control"," with State-Machine and OPC-UA-Connection to the machines like a ",[14,75,78],{"href":76,"rel":77},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FeUkZ8R1tNM4?si=uOwL-XGf0uKkXdVL",[18],"laser cutter"," (ⒸSTFI)",[10,81,82,83,87,88,93],{},"The ",[14,84,86],{"href":70,"rel":85},[18],"job control system"," is a set of state machines built in Node-RED, see figure 2. Each state machine represents a different machine like a ",[14,89,92],{"href":90,"rel":91},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FZ_e6EcT2mQs?si=DfxQS0K16bcrpixi",[18],"mobile robot"," and includes different communication nodes to the different pieces of equipment in the factory line. Node-RED was well suited for developing these state machines since state machines are well represented in flow based programming and also Node-RED provides support for the different communication protocols like OPC UA. Node-RED was also used to control  the automated guided vehicle and the collaborative robot UR10e within the mobile robot, see figure 3.",[10,95,96,101],{},[36,97],{"alt":98,"src":99,"title":100,"dataZoomable":63},"\"Control the Automated Guided Vehicle and the Universal Robot via OPC UA and Real-Time Data Exchange\"",".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fstfi-mobile-robot.png","Control the Automated Guided Vehicle and the Universal Robot via OPC UA and Real-Time Data Exchange",[65,102,103,104,108],{},"Figure 3: Within the ",[14,105,107],{"href":90,"rel":106},[18],"mobile Robot",", control the Automated Guided Vehicle and the Universal Robot via OPC UA and Real-Time Data Exchange (ⒸSTFI)",[10,110,111],{},"The Model Factory also consists of a number of different pieces of equipment. Unfortunately, not all the equipment was able to communicate with the standard protocol. Equipment like a laser cutter and a 3D printing machine are connected to the network with a proprietary protocol. The Model Factory team wanted to use OPC-UA as the standard protocol to allow for flexibility and future integration to other equipment. To overcome this problem, the research team used Node-RED to convert proprietary protocols to OPC-UA. Node-RED was deployed to the equipment desktop control machine so that it could convert the protocol inbound and outbound into OPC-UA.",[10,113,114,115,120,121,126,127,132,133,138],{},"With Node-RED, it is also possible to create a mobile dashboard for machines with just a few clicks and watch it within a ",[14,116,119],{"href":117,"rel":118},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FT5BNb0-2D7o?feature=shared",[18],"Hololens",". Furthermore, systems for ",[14,122,125],{"href":123,"rel":124},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FrNAgmsZoh7g?t=243",[18],"process declaration input"," (such as setup, cleaning, repair) can be implemented to increase transparency on machine states in production. Furthermore, based on Node-RED you can develop ",[14,128,131],{"href":129,"rel":130},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FjElLfvJUpH0?feature=shared&t=303",[18],"Augmented Reality Application"," and system for ",[14,134,137],{"href":135,"rel":136},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FjElLfvJUpH0?feature=shared&t=348",[18],"worker assistance"," with the help of cordova.",[10,140,141,146],{},[36,142],{"alt":143,"src":144,"title":145},"\"Augmented Reality Application based on Node-RED and cordova\"",".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fstfi-augmented-reality.jpg","Augmented Reality Application based on Node-RED and cordova",[65,147,148],{},"Figure 4: Augmented Reality Application based on Node-RED and cordova (ⒸSTFI)",[10,150,151],{},"Andreas Boehm, industrial engineer and lead researcher for the Model Factory comments on why they use Node-RED, “Node-RED is very easy to use and quick to develop. The low-code interface makes it possible for a non-professional developer to quickly start building applications. However, the ability to drop into the function node to write JavaScript makes it very powerful for a professional developer. Node-RED allows you to focus on developing the important things you want to create and not worry about a lot of the lower level infrastructure you need to connect data from different sources.”",[10,153,154,155,160],{},"STFI and the Model Factory are motivated to encourage textile manufacturers to modernize their operations with automation and Industry 4.0 technologies. Their use of Node-RED has demonstrated to different companies how easy it is to get started on small focused applications and grow their digitalization strategy over time. This is an important message to encourage these companies to start today implementing the systems that will make them more competitive in the future. The model factory can be visited as part of ",[14,156,159],{"href":157,"rel":158},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.digitalzentrum-smarte-kreislaeufe.de\u002Fwissen-werkzeuge\u002Fangebote.html",[18],"lab tours"," or simply contact Mr. Böhm.",[10,162,163,164,168],{},"Contact for the Model Factory: ",[14,165,167],{"href":166},"mailto:andreas.boehm@stfi.de","Andreas Böhm",", +49 371 5274 272",[10,170,171],{},"Note: The linked YouTube videos are in German. YouTube offers automatically translated subtitles.",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":174},4,[],"2023-11-14","Learn how Node-RED transforms textile manufacturing at STFI's Model Factory with seamless integration and advanced applications.","md",{"formId":179},"04a5843c-1d39-4410-8727-af15b42108d1","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fstfi-future-textile.jpg",null,{"excerpt":183},{"type":7,"value":184},[185],[10,186,12,187,20,190,26,193,32],{},[14,188,19],{"href":16,"rel":189},[18],[14,191,25],{"href":23,"rel":192},[18],[14,194,31],{"href":29,"rel":195},[18],true,"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fstfi-future-of-textile-powered-by-node-red",{"title":5,"description":176},"customer-stories\u002Fstfi-future-of-textile-powered-by-node-red",{"brand":19,"url":201,"logo":202,"quote":203,"challenge":204,"solution":205,"products":206,"results":209},"https:\u002F\u002Fstfi.de\u002F","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Flogos\u002Fstfi.jpeg","Node-RED allows you to focus on developing the important things you want to create and not worry about a lot of the lower level infrastructure you need to connect data from different sources.","Connect to, combine, and enrich data from sources to build applications to modernize textile industries.","Adopt Node-RED to extract data from various sources and combine data from different streams.",[207,208],"Node-RED","FlowFuse",[210,211],"Various process have now unlocked potential for the industry to adopt.","Dynamic applications can now access and utilize data streams through Node-RED.","3uposGAYJRDhGaCfc8l6YH0IXba-mPfvstYInFkLzAc",[214,471,699,990,1115,1276,1396,1540,1651,1728,1832],{"id":215,"title":216,"body":217,"date":446,"description":447,"extension":177,"hubspot":448,"image":450,"logo":181,"meta":451,"navigation":196,"path":452,"seo":453,"stem":454,"story":455,"subtitle":181,"usecase":468,"__hash__":470},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fenerginet-streamlining-critical-infrastructure-data-management.md","Streamlining Critical Infrastructure Data Management for Denmark's Energy Transition",{"type":7,"value":218,"toc":426},[219,222,227,230,233,236,252,257,260,274,277,280,284,287,291,294,298,309,313,324,328,331,334,337,340,343,347,351,362,366,377,381,392,396,399,419,423],[10,220,221],{},"Energinet is Denmark's national transmission system operator, responsible for the reliable operation of 7,000 km of high-voltage electricity grid and the country's natural gas transmission infrastructure. As an independent state-owned enterprise with more than 2000 employees, Energinet operates critical energy infrastructure connecting Denmark with Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. Beyond ensuring energy security, Energinet plays a central role in Denmark's transition to 100% renewable energy - integrating massive offshore wind capacity, coordinating the Bornholm Energy Island project, and managing one of the world's highest renewable energy penetration rates.",[223,224,226],"h2",{"id":225},"the-challenge","The Challenge",[10,228,229],{},"The Operational Mandate: Reliable Grid Operations at the Leading Edge of Energy Transition",[10,231,232],{},"Denmark's energy grid operates at the frontier of renewable integration. With wind and solar generation representing a majority of electricity production, Energinet faces operational complexity that didn't exist a decade ago: managing second-by-second grid stability as renewable output fluctuates, coordinating power flows across multiple international interconnections, and preparing infrastructure for massive offshore wind expansion including the Bornholm Energy Island.",[10,234,235],{},"This operational reality creates stringent requirements for real-time grid intelligence. Energinet's operations teams need continuous visibility into:",[237,238,239,243,246,249],"ul",{},[240,241,242],"li",{},"High-voltage transmission equipment status across 7,000 km of infrastructure",[240,244,245],{},"Substation health and environmental conditions at hundreds of critical nodes",[240,247,248],{},"Predictive indicators of equipment degradation requiring maintenance intervention",[240,250,251],{},"Historical operational patterns supporting grid planning and renewable integration analysis",[253,254,256],"h3",{"id":255},"the-governance-challenge-no-room-for-ad-hoc-solutions","The Governance Challenge: No Room for Ad-Hoc Solutions",[10,258,259],{},"As a national transmission system operator, Energinet operates under regulatory frameworks that demand:",[237,261,262,265,268,271],{},[240,263,264],{},"Provable reliability - Grid data must be available when needed; data pipelines cannot fail during critical operations",[240,266,267],{},"Change control - Modifications to operational systems require testing and validation before production deployment",[240,269,270],{},"Operational transparency - Clear ownership and accountability for all systems supporting grid operations",[240,272,273],{},"Business continuity - Rapid recovery capability if any component fails",[10,275,276],{},"The operational requirement was clear: establish a governed orchestration layer that could reliably collect data from SCADA systems and modern IoT deployments, transform it appropriately for different operational systems, and deliver it to time-series databases, monitoring platforms, and analytical tools - all while meeting the governance standards expected of critical national infrastructure.",[10,278,279],{},"The decision criteria weren't technical - they were operational: Could a solution provide the reliability, governance, and lifecycle management required for a system that supports Denmark's energy security?",[223,281,283],{"id":282},"the-flowfuse-solution","The FlowFuse Solution",[10,285,286],{},"Energinet implemented FlowFuse as their governed orchestration platform for grid operational data - establishing an enterprise-grade integration layer between thousands of grid assets and systems that depend on their data.",[253,288,290],{"id":289},"mission-critical-data-orchestration","Mission-Critical Data Orchestration",[10,292,293],{},"FlowFuse serves as a production infrastructure connecting Energinet's operational data sources to monitoring, analysis, and decision systems:",[253,295,297],{"id":296},"multi-generation-grid-asset-integration","Multi-Generation Grid Asset Integration:",[237,299,300,303,306],{},[240,301,302],{},"SCADA Systems: Continuous extraction of operational telemetry from supervisory control infrastructure deployed over decades across Denmark's transmission network",[240,304,305],{},"Modern IoT Deployments: Real-time collection from sensor networks monitoring substation equipment health, environmental conditions, and performance indicators",[240,307,308],{},"Experimental Monitoring: Flexible integration of pilot technologies as Energinet tests emerging grid intelligence capabilities",[253,310,312],{"id":311},"operational-system-delivery","Operational System Delivery:",[237,314,315,318,321],{},[240,316,317],{},"Time-Series Analytics: Governed delivery to InfluxDB databases supporting trend analysis, predictive maintenance, and renewable integration planning",[240,319,320],{},"Operational Databases: Structured routing to MySQL systems for compliance reporting and operational record-keeping",[240,322,323],{},"Real-Time Monitoring: Live data feeds to Grafana visualization platforms enabling 24\u002F7 grid surveillance and incident response",[253,325,327],{"id":326},"enterprise-governance-meeting-tso-standards","Enterprise Governance Meeting TSO Standards",[10,329,330],{},"FlowFuse provides the operational controls that critical infrastructure demands:",[10,332,333],{},"Guaranteed Business Continuity: Automated protection of all data transformation logic ensures operational continuity regardless of individual system events. For a national TSO, the question isn't whether backup exists - it's whether grid operations can continue reliably. FlowFuse's systematic approach ensures data flows supporting Denmark's energy grid are always recoverable.",[10,335,336],{},"Controlled Change Management: Separated development and production environments enable Energinet's engineering teams to validate new integrations or modifications without any risk to live grid operations. When you're managing infrastructure that powers an entire country, testing changes before production deployment isn't optional - it's foundational. FlowFuse makes this standard practice rather than extraordinary effort.",[10,338,339],{},"Controlled Change Management: Separated development and production environments enable Energinet's teams to safely validate and deploy new integrations and monitoring workflows. This governed approach supports reliable evolution of operational data systems while reducing risk to ongoing infrastructure monitoring and maintenance activities.",[10,341,342],{},"Operational Accountability: Centralized platform management establishes clear ownership and visibility for all data orchestration supporting grid operations. Every integration is discoverable, documented, and managed according to consistent governance standards - essential for an organization with regulatory obligations and operational accountability for national energy security.",[223,344,346],{"id":345},"key-results","Key Results",[253,348,350],{"id":349},"operational-mission-delivery","Operational Mission Delivery:",[237,352,353,356,359],{},[240,354,355],{},"Grid Operations Reliability: Established governed data orchestration supporting infrastructure monitoring, equipment surveillance, and maintenance planning across Denmark's high-voltage transmission network",[240,357,358],{},"Regulatory Compliance: Systematic governance and change control meeting TSO operational standards and regulatory requirements",[240,360,361],{},"Renewable Integration Support: Reliable data infrastructure enabling Denmark's leadership in renewable energy integration and grid modernization",[253,363,365],{"id":364},"infrastructure-readiness","Infrastructure Readiness:",[237,367,368,371,374],{},[240,369,370],{},"Scalable Foundation: Production platform ready to support evolving grid infrastructure requirements as Denmark continues its renewable energy transition and cross-border energy coordination initiatives",[240,372,373],{},"Operational Efficiency: Small operations team reliably manages complex data orchestration across 7,000 km of transmission infrastructure",[240,375,376],{},"Technology Evolution: Flexible platform supporting integration of emerging grid monitoring technologies without operational disruption",[253,378,380],{"id":379},"governance-risk-management","Governance & Risk Management:",[237,382,383,386,389],{},[240,384,385],{},"Business Continuity Assurance: Systematic backup and recovery capability eliminating single points of failure in grid data infrastructure",[240,387,388],{},"Safe Innovation: Development pipelines enabling new capabilities without production risk",[240,390,391],{},"Operational Transparency: Complete visibility and accountability for systems supporting national energy infrastructure",[223,393,395],{"id":394},"technical-architecture","Technical Architecture",[10,397,398],{},"Governed Orchestration Platform for Critical Infrastructure:",[237,400,401,404,407,410,413,416],{},[240,402,403],{},"Enterprise SaaS Deployment: Managed platform eliminating infrastructure overhead while meeting security and availability requirements for national TSO operations",[240,405,406],{},"Multi-Source Integration Layer: Production-grade connections across decades of SCADA infrastructure, modern IoT networks, and experimental monitoring systems",[240,408,409],{},"Data Transformation Engine: Centrally governed processing ensuring consistent, auditable data handling across all operational flows",[240,411,412],{},"Resilient Delivery Framework: Reliable routing to InfluxDB analytics platforms, MySQL operational systems, and Grafana monitoring infrastructure",[240,414,415],{},"Lifecycle Management: Separated development\u002Fproduction environments with controlled promotion ensuring safe evolution",[240,417,418],{},"Continuity Architecture: Automated backup systems guaranteeing recoverability for all operational data orchestration",[223,420,422],{"id":421},"looking-forward","Looking Forward",[10,424,425],{},"As Denmark expands its role as a renewable energy leader - developing the Bornholm Energy Island, enabling offshore wind capacity, and pioneering cross-border energy coordination - Energinet's FlowFuse-based orchestration platform provides the scalable, governed foundation required to integrate growing operational complexity while maintaining the reliability standards expected of critical national infrastructure. For an organization responsible for a country's energy infrastructure, having a solution with governance, testing protocols, and operational accountability built in from day one is essential. FlowFuse provides a platform Energinet can depend on for grid operations - not a tool that requires constant management - delivering the confidence needed when operational decisions affect Denmark's energy security and renewable energy transition.",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":427},[428,433,439,444,445],{"id":225,"depth":429,"text":226,"children":430},2,[431],{"id":255,"depth":432,"text":256},3,{"id":282,"depth":429,"text":283,"children":434},[435,436,437,438],{"id":289,"depth":432,"text":290},{"id":296,"depth":432,"text":297},{"id":311,"depth":432,"text":312},{"id":326,"depth":432,"text":327},{"id":345,"depth":429,"text":346,"children":440},[441,442,443],{"id":349,"depth":432,"text":350},{"id":364,"depth":432,"text":365},{"id":379,"depth":432,"text":380},{"id":394,"depth":429,"text":395},{"id":421,"depth":429,"text":422},"2026-06-15","Energinet, Denmark's national TSO, uses FlowFuse to govern real-time data pipelines across 7,000 km of grid infrastructure, connecting SCADA systems and IoT sensors to InfluxDB, MySQL, and Grafana.",{"formId":449},"a96fdb02-5a70-42cc-b0e8-34e44b9ca919","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fenerginet.jpg",{},"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fenerginet-streamlining-critical-infrastructure-data-management",{"title":216,"description":447},"customer-stories\u002Fenerginet-streamlining-critical-infrastructure-data-management",{"brand":456,"url":457,"logo":458,"challenge":459,"solution":460,"products":461,"results":462},"Energinet","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.energinet.dk\u002F","\u002Fimages\u002Fhome-logos\u002Fenerginet-logo.png","Managing real-time grid intelligence across 7,000 km of infrastructure demanded governed, fail-proof data pipelines, ad-hoc solutions couldn't meet TSO regulatory standards.","FlowFuse became Energinet's governed orchestration layer, connecting SCADA systems and IoT sensors to InfluxDB, MySQL, and Grafana with enterprise-grade lifecycle management.",[207,208],[463,464,465,466,467],"Small team manages data across 7,000 km of grid","Unified SCADA, IoT, and experimental monitoring sources","Real-time visibility supporting 24\u002F7 grid surveillance","Safe change deployment via dev\u002Fproduction environments","Business continuity assured with automated flow backups",[469],"production-monitoring","PKrdh4EbfHKdUd694XE0ph-vvAGKQsWpy-vhne7GT7Q",{"id":472,"title":473,"body":474,"date":670,"description":671,"extension":177,"hubspot":672,"image":674,"logo":181,"meta":675,"navigation":196,"path":682,"seo":683,"stem":684,"story":685,"subtitle":181,"usecase":181,"__hash__":698},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Freducing-costs-and-boosting-sales-performance-through-automated-digital-twin-demonstrations.md","Reducing Costs and Boosting Sales Performance Through Automated Digital Twin Demonstrations",{"type":7,"value":475,"toc":656},[476,478,481,488,494,496,499,504,507,511,514,540,542,546,566,570,596,600,614,616,619,651,653],[253,477,226],{"id":225},[10,479,480],{},"Neoception's handling of opportunities was bottlenecked by two  operational challenges that were directly impacting their sales performance and resource allocation:",[10,482,483,487],{},[484,485,486],"strong",{},"Manual Sales Support:"," Every customer trial or tailored demonstration required manual intervention from Neoception's technical team. When customers wanted to test with their own data, the process involved manual data formatting and dedicated engineering time as in a productive implementation this would be handled automatically. This often required expensive technical resources for each prospect. This manual overhead was limiting their ability to scale sales operations and was creating delays that could lose potential deals.",[10,489,490,493],{},[484,491,492],{},"Incomplete Demonstrations Limiting Sales Conversion:"," As a digital twin software provider whose product does most of the value creation “out of sight” and with operational automization, Neoception could only demonstrate their core product without easy to understand use case applications, leaving \"blind spots\" in the complete process workflow. Sales teams had to rely on PowerPoint presentations and verbal explanations for critical integration points, making it difficult for prospects to fully understand the value proposition. This incomplete demonstration approach was extending sales cycles and reducing conversion rates, as customers couldn't visualize the complete solution in action.",[253,495,283],{"id":282},[10,497,498],{},"Neoception leveraged FlowFuse to eliminate manual processes and create compelling, automated demonstrations that directly impact their bottom line through two strategic implementations:",[500,501,503],"h4",{"id":502},"cost-reducing-automated-demonstrations","Cost-Reducing Automated Demonstrations",[10,505,506],{},"Instead of requiring engineering resources for every customer meeting, Neoception built reusable FlowFuse instances that automatically feed data into and provide visualizations for their digital twin demonstrators. These automated implementations eliminated the \"presentation blind spots\" by providing easy to understand use case applications while requiring zero manual intervention per demonstration. Additionally the team can now rapidly deploy customer-specific trial datasets - setting up tailored demonstrations in just 2 hours compared to days of custom development work, dramatically reducing the cost per sales opportunity.",[500,508,510],{"id":509},"opportunity-boosting-self-service-customer-platform-for-trials","Opportunity-Boosting Self-Service Customer Platform for Trials",[10,512,513],{},"The breakthrough came with easy to duplicate, FlowFuse-powered companion applications that completely eliminated manual customer data handling. This self-service platform transforms prospects into active evaluators who can immediately experience value with their own data:",[237,515,516,522,528,534],{},[240,517,518,521],{},[484,519,520],{},"Data Management Interface:"," Customers can manually enter data through dashboard forms or download CSV templates, mass-populate them with thousands of  datasets, and upload them back to the system",[240,523,524,527],{},[484,525,526],{},"File Management System:"," Integration with Azure Blob Storage allows customers to upload, browse, download, and manage files directly through the FlowFuse dashboard",[240,529,530,533],{},[484,531,532],{},"Real-time Data Processing:"," All customer data is automatically processed into SQL databases and connected to Neoception's digital twin software as structured data models",[240,535,536,539],{},[484,537,538],{},"Dynamic Visualization:"," Changes are immediately reflected in the digital twin representations",[253,541,346],{"id":345},[500,543,545],{"id":544},"cost-savings","Cost Savings:",[237,547,548,554,560],{},[240,549,550,553],{},[484,551,552],{},"Eliminated Manual Data Processing:"," Removed the need for technical staff to manually transform and load customer data, saving hours of engineering time per trial",[240,555,556,559],{},[484,557,558],{},"Reduced Sales Engineering Overhead:"," Constantly running and accessible  use case demonstrations via the Flowfuse dashboard require zero technical support per customer meeting, freeing up valuable engineering resources",[240,561,562,565],{},[484,563,564],{},"Faster Demo Setup:"," Custom demonstrations now take 2 hours instead of days, reducing operational costs by over 70%",[500,567,569],{"id":568},"sales-performance-enhancement","Sales Performance Enhancement:",[237,571,572,578,584,590],{},[240,573,574,577],{},[484,575,576],{},"Accelerated Sales Cycles:"," Customers can immediately test with their own data, significantly shortening the evaluation period",[240,579,580,583],{},[484,581,582],{},"Higher Conversion Quality:"," Prospects develop stronger relationships with the product by using real operational data from day one",[240,585,586,589],{},[484,587,588],{},"Competitive Differentiation:"," While competitors work only with generic test data, Neoception customers experience their actual use case during trials",[240,591,592,595],{},[484,593,594],{},"Improved Close Rates:"," Complete workflow demonstrations eliminate uncertainty and objections that previously extended sales cycles",[500,597,599],{"id":598},"operational-impact","Operational Impact:",[237,601,602,608],{},[240,603,604,607],{},[484,605,606],{},"Scalable Sales Operations:"," Can handle unlimited concurrent trials without additional manual resources",[240,609,610,613],{},[484,611,612],{},"Enhanced Customer Experience:"," Self-service capabilities allow customers to explore at their own pace without scheduling constraints",[253,615,395],{"id":394},[10,617,618],{},"The solution architecture includes:",[237,620,621,627,633,639,645],{},[240,622,623,626],{},[484,624,625],{},"Multi-Instance Setup:"," Separate test and production FlowFuse instances for static demonstrations and live customer trials",[240,628,629,632],{},[484,630,631],{},"Data Processing Pipeline:"," Automated CSV parsing, data validation, and SQL database integration",[240,634,635,638],{},[484,636,637],{},"Cloud Storage Integration:"," Direct Azure Blob Storage connectivity for file management and retrieval",[240,640,641,644],{},[484,642,643],{},"Dynamic UI Generation:"," Automatically generated dashboard forms and tables based on customer data structures",[240,646,647,650],{},[484,648,649],{},"Real-time Synchronization:"," Live connection between FlowFuse data processing and Neoception's digital twin software",[253,652,422],{"id":421},[10,654,655],{},"Neoception continues to expand their FlowFuse implementation, exploring additional data source integrations and enhanced customer self-service capabilities to further streamline their sales process and customer onboarding experience.",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":657},[658,659,663,668,669],{"id":225,"depth":432,"text":226},{"id":282,"depth":432,"text":283,"children":660},[661,662],{"id":502,"depth":173,"text":503},{"id":509,"depth":173,"text":510},{"id":345,"depth":432,"text":346,"children":664},[665,666,667],{"id":544,"depth":173,"text":545},{"id":568,"depth":173,"text":569},{"id":598,"depth":173,"text":599},{"id":394,"depth":432,"text":395},{"id":421,"depth":432,"text":422},"2026-03-19","Neoception uses FlowFuse to automate demos and enable self-service customer trials, reducing costs, accelerating sales cycles, and improving conversion rates.",{"formId":673},"f741955e-5d2a-42c1-8035-03e083028bee","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fneoception.png",{"excerpt":676},{"type":7,"value":677},[678,680],[253,679,226],{"id":225},[10,681,480],{},"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Freducing-costs-and-boosting-sales-performance-through-automated-digital-twin-demonstrations",{"title":473,"description":671},"customer-stories\u002Freducing-costs-and-boosting-sales-performance-through-automated-digital-twin-demonstrations",{"brand":686,"url":687,"logo":688,"quote":689,"challenge":690,"solution":691,"products":692,"results":694},"Neoception","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.neoception.com\u002F","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Flogos\u002Flogo-neoception.png","FlowFuse has transformed our economics completely. What used to cost us hours of engineering time per customer trial is now fully automated. We've gone from PowerPoint presentations to hands-on demonstrations that prospects can run with their own data. The impact on our sales performance has been remarkable - customers are converting faster and with higher confidence because they experience real value immediately.","Manual demo processes and incomplete product demonstrations slowed sales and limited scalability.","Used FlowFuse to automate demos and enable self-service customer trials with real data.",[207,208,693],"FlowFuse Dashboard",[695,696,697],"Reduced demo setup time and operational costs","Eliminated manual engineering effort for trials","Improved sales cycles and conversion rates","GW39AtC2m5H0coZRLlGCVF4lFmtRK1ry3VgSuvtogCY",{"id":700,"title":701,"body":702,"date":965,"description":966,"extension":177,"hubspot":967,"image":969,"logo":181,"meta":970,"navigation":196,"path":971,"seo":972,"stem":973,"story":974,"subtitle":181,"usecase":988,"__hash__":989},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fscaling-industrial-iot-operations-while-maintaining-competitive-edge.md","Scaling Industrial IoT Operations While Maintaining Competitive Edge",{"type":7,"value":703,"toc":949},[704,707,709,712,718,724,730,732,735,739,742,748,752,755,759,762,800,802,806,832,836,851,855,875,879,899,901,903,944,946],[10,705,706],{},"For more than 100 years, Walter has stood for expertise and quality in machining technology. The company was founded in 1919 by Richard Walter and is headquartered in Tübingen, Germany. The portfolio includes precision tools for Milling, Turning, Grooving, Holemaking and Threading as well as customised Special tools and technology solutions along the process chain. Another building block is Walter Tool Management Solutions, which offer customers cost planning security, continuous productivity improvements and faster amortisation of their investments in addition to cutting tools. With production facilities in North and South America, Europe and Asia, numerous subsidiaries and Channel Partners as well as 3,800 employees worldwide, Walter has a global presence and customers in more than 80 countries around the world. In addition to Engineering Kompetenz, a sustainable corporate strategy and a diversity approach are part of the corporate culture.",[223,708,226],{"id":225},[10,710,711],{},"Walter faced a critical operational challenge that threatened their ability to maintain competitive advantage across their global production network:",[10,713,714,717],{},[484,715,716],{},"Fragmented Production Intelligence:"," Each of Walter’s production units had developed individual solutions for machine connectivity and data collection. The inserts, round tool and tool body facilities each used different systems - and in some cases, no system at all. This fragmentation created silos, requiring the central IT Team to build custom interfaces for every production area just to access basic data. Even more challenging, some units lacked any machine connectivity or dashboarding capabilities, leaving them completely in the dark about their production performance.",[10,719,720,723],{},[484,721,722],{},"Scalability Constraints with Limited Resources:"," As a lean IT team of seven people responsible for MES, IoT, tool management systems, production planning, and CAD solutions, Walter IT couldn't support the growing demand for production connectivity and transparency. Across all their systems, the team was managing approximately 10 different solutions, with 5 specifically dedicated to dashboarding and machine connectivity. The situation was even more problematic because these 5 solutions were distributed unevenly across production units - not every facility had access to them, leaving some locations without any connectivity solution whatsoever. The team was spending all their time maintaining these disparate systems instead of driving innovation.",[10,725,726,729],{},[484,727,728],{},"Missing Critical Production Intelligence:"," Many production units couldn't provide essential data like machine runtime, downtime periods, or downtime reasons to the central MES system. This lack of visibility created inefficiencies and made it impossible to measure and improve productivity against other internal production units.",[223,731,283],{"id":282},[10,733,734],{},"Walter leveraged FlowFuse as the foundation of their standardized IoT infrastructure, creating a scalable platform that addresses their operational challenges through strategic implementation:",[253,736,738],{"id":737},"unified-iot-backbone-architecture","Unified IoT Backbone Architecture",[10,740,741],{},"FlowFuse serves as the central nervous system for Walter's entire production data ecosystem. Rather than maintaining 20+ separate solutions, the team now deploys standardized Node-RED flows that can connect to any machine configuration. This unified approach enables consistent data collection, transformation, and routing across all production facilities while requiring minimal local customization.",[10,743,744],{},[36,745],{"alt":746,"dataZoomable":63,"src":747,"title":746},"Standardized Node-RED flows",".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fwalter-flow.png",[253,749,751],{"id":750},"cloud-first-security-and-scalability","Cloud-First Security and Scalability",[10,753,754],{},"The team leveraged FlowFuse's Software-as-a-Service model to eliminate infrastructure management overhead. Device agents run securely at the shop floor level next to machines, with encrypted connections to the cloud platform. This approach enables their small IT team to manage 130+ Node-RED instances across multiple global locations without requiring dedicated infrastructure teams at each site. The best part: they still don't experience any bottlenecks, allowing them to continue scaling with the same team size.",[253,756,758],{"id":757},"industrial-application-platform","Industrial Application Platform",[10,760,761],{},"FlowFuse processes and routes production data to multiple systems including:",[237,763,764,770,776,782,788,794],{},[240,765,766,769],{},[484,767,768],{},"MES Integration:"," Providing real-time machine status, runtime data, and downtime analysis",[240,771,772,775],{},[484,773,774],{},"SAP Connectivity:"," Enabling bidirectional data exchange for production planning and resource management",[240,777,778,781],{},[484,779,780],{},"InfluxDB Storage:"," Long-term historical data storage for trend analysis and optimization",[240,783,784,787],{},[484,785,786],{},"Live Dashboards:"," Real-time production visualization and monitoring for operators and management",[240,789,790,793],{},[484,791,792],{},"Custom HMI Systems:"," User interfaces for machine operators to input process parameters and quality data",[240,795,796,799],{},[484,797,798],{},"SaaS Energy Management System:"," Optenda collects power consumption of some machines directly from the FlowFuse Broker",[223,801,346],{"id":345},[253,803,805],{"id":804},"operational-efficiency","Operational Efficiency",[237,807,808,814,820,826],{},[240,809,810,813],{},[484,811,812],{},"Scaled from 1 to 130+ Instances:"," Achieved 13,000% growth in deployed Node-RED instances while maintaining the same IT team size",[240,815,816,819],{},[484,817,818],{},"Unified Platform Architecture:"," Replaced 5 fragmented dashboarding and machine connectivity solutions with a single, maintainable platform - more importantly, giving production units without any solution the ability to participate and benefit from the collective knowledge",[240,821,822,825],{},[484,823,824],{},"Enabled Knowledge Sharing:"," Onboarding new machines is often as simple as copying flow logic from one production unit and applying it to identical machines in another facility",[240,827,828,831],{},[484,829,830],{},"Enabled Innovation Focus:"," Freed IT team from pure maintenance mode to drive new capabilities and improvements",[253,833,835],{"id":834},"empowering-engineers-with-data-access","Empowering Engineers with data access",[237,837,838,841],{},[240,839,840],{},"With FlowFuse, Walter IT can easily provide production engineers with direct access to their data. Using FlowFuse Dashboard they can visualize and explore the data by themselves, without additional effort from IT",[240,842,843,844],{},"Engineers from different production units now exchange ideas and support each other in a collaborative way\n",[845,846],"lite-youtube",{"videoid":847,"params":848,"style":849,"title":850},"7nceTJrDnIo","rel=0","margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; width: 100%; height: 480px;","YouTube video player",[253,852,854],{"id":853},"competitive-advantage","Competitive Advantage",[237,856,857,863,869],{},[240,858,859,862],{},[484,860,861],{},"Production Transparency:"," Achieved full visibility into machine runtime, downtime, and performance metrics across all facilities",[240,864,865,868],{},[484,866,867],{},"Benchmarking Capability:"," Allows comparison and optimization of productivity across multiple production units within the organization",[240,870,871,874],{},[484,872,873],{},"Rapid Deployment:"," New production units can be connected and standardized in hours instead of months",[253,876,878],{"id":877},"resource-optimization","Resource Optimization",[237,880,881,887,893],{},[240,882,883,886],{},[484,884,885],{},"Team Efficiency:"," Small IT team can now support global operations instead of being limited to single production units",[240,888,889,892],{},[484,890,891],{},"Standardized Operations:"," Consistent data collection and reporting across all facilities enables better decision-making",[240,894,895,898],{},[484,896,897],{},"Business Responsiveness:"," Can quickly respond to business requests for production connectivity and dashboards",[223,900,395],{"id":394},[10,902,618],{},[237,904,905,911,917,923,929,935],{},[240,906,907,910],{},[484,908,909],{},"Device Agent Deployment:"," Shop floor-level agents connecting directly to manufacturing equipment via OPC-UA and other industrial protocols",[240,912,913,916],{},[484,914,915],{},"Encrypted Cloud Connectivity:"," Secure communication between edge devices and FlowFuse cloud platform",[240,918,919,922],{},[484,920,921],{},"Data Processing Pipelines:"," Node-RED flows handling data transformation, validation, and routing to multiple downstream systems",[240,924,925,928],{},[484,926,927],{},"Multi-System Integration:"," Connections to MES, SAP, InfluxDB, custom dashboards, and HMI systems",[240,930,931,934],{},[484,932,933],{},"Centralized Management:"," Single platform for deploying, monitoring, and maintaining flows across 130+ instances globally",[240,936,937,940,941],{},[484,938,939],{},"FlowFuse MQTT Broker"," as a central Datahub for other systems (MES, SAP, InfluxDB, Energy Management System, Dashboards)\n",[36,942],{"alt":395,"dataZoomable":63,"src":943,"title":395},".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fwaler-architecture.png",[223,945,422],{"id":421},[10,947,948],{},"Walter continues to expand their FlowFuse implementation, with plans to present their complete use case at Node-RED Conference, showcasing how they've built a measurement machine integration that demonstrates the full potential of their unified IoT platform for complex manufacturing workflows.",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":950},[951,952,957,963,964],{"id":225,"depth":429,"text":226},{"id":282,"depth":429,"text":283,"children":953},[954,955,956],{"id":737,"depth":432,"text":738},{"id":750,"depth":432,"text":751},{"id":757,"depth":432,"text":758},{"id":345,"depth":429,"text":346,"children":958},[959,960,961,962],{"id":804,"depth":432,"text":805},{"id":834,"depth":432,"text":835},{"id":853,"depth":432,"text":854},{"id":877,"depth":432,"text":878},{"id":394,"depth":429,"text":395},{"id":421,"depth":429,"text":422},"2025-12-16","Discover how Walter built a future-proof industrial application platform with FlowFuse, connecting machines, unifying data, and scaling operations without increasing IT overhead.",{"formId":968},"1cab86cb-5c81-40ab-be4b-a6ae94f38ac8","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fwalter.png",{},"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fscaling-industrial-iot-operations-while-maintaining-competitive-edge",{"title":701,"description":966},"customer-stories\u002Fscaling-industrial-iot-operations-while-maintaining-competitive-edge",{"brand":975,"url":976,"logo":977,"quote":978,"challenge":979,"solution":980,"products":981,"results":982},"Walter","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.walter-tools.com\u002F","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Flogos\u002Fwalter-logo.png","Without FlowFuse, I would be able to support maybe one production unit, but that's it. FlowFuse gives us the chance to deliver what the business asks us for while maintaining our small team size. It's not just about connecting machines - it's about creating the foundation that makes everything else possible","Fragmented systems and no unified machine connectivity left teams without critical production visibility and created heavy IT workload.","A single FlowFuse-based IoT platform with standardized Node-RED flows enabled secure, scalable machine connectivity across all sites.",[207,208,693],[983,984,985,986,987],"Scaled from 1 to 130+ instances with same IT team","Unified 5 siloed systems into one platform","Gained real-time visibility across all facilities","Engineers self-serve data with FlowFuse Dashboards","Faster onboarding by reusing flows across units",[469],"4Ai_d6M047YbjC7ZalUo5wrkRTA3bWYqcBcg24JZ0Qs",{"id":991,"title":992,"body":993,"date":1092,"description":1093,"extension":177,"hubspot":1094,"image":1096,"logo":181,"meta":1097,"navigation":196,"path":1098,"seo":1099,"stem":1100,"story":1101,"subtitle":181,"usecase":1113,"__hash__":1114},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fscaling-manufacturing-automation-with-flowfuse.md","Scaling Manufacturing Automation with FlowFuse",{"type":7,"value":994,"toc":1081},[995,998,1003,1005,1008,1011,1013,1016,1020,1023,1027,1030,1034,1037,1039,1071,1073,1076,1078],[10,996,997],{},"Arch Systems transforms factory intelligence with AI-driven solutions that help manufacturers optimize operations, reduce downtime, and maximize efficiency. Purpose-built for factories by manufacturing and data experts, Arch AI acts as an expert copilot– reading dashboards, synthesizing data, and delivering real-time, prescriptive guidance to operators, engineers, and executives without costly infrastructure overhauls. By leveraging AI to unlock insights from existing factory systems, Arch enables manufacturers to scale expertise, improve critical KPIs, and drive measurable impact on the shop floor.",[10,999,1000],{},[36,1001],{"alt":992,"dataZoomable":63,"src":1002,"title":992},".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Farch_systems_engineer.png",[223,1004,226],{"id":225},[10,1006,1007],{},"Arch Systems delivers a manufacturing data and analytics platform that connects complex factory systems, transforms raw production data into actionable insights, and drives measurable performance improvements for manufacturers worldwide. To power this platform, Arch required a reliable and scalable way to integrate with Manufacturing Execution Systems, connect to diverse APIs and databases, and manage the flow of live production data to selected third-party and partner solutions. The scope was significant, spanning 100+ databases and multiple production environments, demanding automation that was both efficient and consistently deployed at scale.",[10,1009,1010],{},"Integrating diverse manufacturing systems while ensuring reliable, real-time data processing is inherently complex. Without the right approach, solutions can become fragmented, difficult to maintain, and challenging to scale across a growing customer base. Arch addresses these challenges by combining its own advanced platform capabilities with trusted partner technologies to deliver unified, high-performance solutions for global manufacturers.",[223,1012,283],{"id":282},[10,1014,1015],{},"Arch Systems incorporates FlowFuse as part of its broader technology stack to enhance automation capabilities, supporting customers’ manufacturing connectivity needs in three key areas:",[253,1017,1019],{"id":1018},"real-time-data-processing-pipeline","Real-Time Data Processing Pipeline",[10,1021,1022],{},"Arch Systems implemented MQTT brokers to connect directly to MES systems, creating a reliable pathway for live production data. They configured Node-RED flows to receive and filter this data, then created automated task generation using the processed manufacturing information. This architecture enables immediate response to production events and real-time insights.",[253,1024,1026],{"id":1025},"scalable-architecture","Scalable Architecture",[10,1028,1029],{},"The Arch team connected to more than 100 databases, ensuring consistent data ingestion across diverse environments. To streamline how this data was processed within the platform, they built standardized Node-RED subflows that automated job creation in Arch React. These reusable subflows eliminated the need to configure each deployment manually, allowing the team to replicate and tailor workflows quickly for new customers and greatly accelerate implementation.",[253,1031,1033],{"id":1032},"devops-integration","DevOps Integration",[10,1035,1036],{},"FlowFuse enabled Arch Systems to establish streamlined deployment pipelines with single-point editing and automatic propagation to all production instances. This centralized approach reduced deployment complexity and potential configuration errors while enabling them to make improvements once and deploy them everywhere.",[223,1038,346],{"id":345},[237,1040,1041,1047,1053,1059,1065],{},[240,1042,1043,1046],{},[484,1044,1045],{},"100+ Databases Connected Through Automated Flows"," – Arch connected over 100 manufacturing databases using standardized Node-RED subflows, powered by FlowFuse orchestration.",[240,1048,1049,1052],{},[484,1050,1051],{},"Faster, Repeatable Deployments"," – Reusable FlowFuse-managed subflows eliminated manual configuration, allowing Arch to replicate workflows for new customers in a fraction of the time.",[240,1054,1055,1058],{},[484,1056,1057],{},"Consistent, Real-Time Data Processing"," – Combined MQTT pipelines with FlowFuse-managed Node-RED environments to ensure reliable, real-time data streaming across diverse systems.",[240,1060,1061,1064],{},[484,1062,1063],{},"Centralized DevOps Control"," – FlowFuse’s single-point deployment enabled Arch to push updates and improvements across all production environments simultaneously.",[240,1066,1067,1070],{},[484,1068,1069],{},"Scalable Automation Framework"," – The joint solution established a robust, reusable architecture that accelerates onboarding for new manufacturing customers.",[223,1072,395],{"id":394},[10,1074,1075],{},"The solution architecture includes MQTT integration for direct connection to manufacturing execution systems, Node-RED processing for advanced data filtering and transformation capabilities, and automated task creation that dynamically generates tasks based on real-time production data. Multi-environment deployment ensures consistent behavior across development and production environments.",[223,1077,422],{"id":421},[10,1079,1080],{},"Arch Systems continues to expand its automation platform capabilities, incorporating FlowFuse’s enterprise features alongside other partner technologies to serve more manufacturing customers and integrate a wider range of data sources and third-party platforms.",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":1082},[1083,1084,1089,1090,1091],{"id":225,"depth":429,"text":226},{"id":282,"depth":429,"text":283,"children":1085},[1086,1087,1088],{"id":1018,"depth":432,"text":1019},{"id":1025,"depth":432,"text":1026},{"id":1032,"depth":432,"text":1033},{"id":345,"depth":429,"text":346},{"id":394,"depth":429,"text":395},{"id":421,"depth":429,"text":422},"2025-09-29","Arch Systems leverages FlowFuse and Node-RED to integrate MES systems, automate 100+ databases, and deliver scalable, real-time manufacturing data processing.",{"formId":1095},"ef56a0ea-7b50-4eed-b6aa-cf5421233e03","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Farch_systems.jpeg",{},"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fscaling-manufacturing-automation-with-flowfuse",{"title":992,"description":1093},"customer-stories\u002Fscaling-manufacturing-automation-with-flowfuse",{"brand":1102,"url":1103,"logo":1104,"quote":1105,"challenge":1106,"solution":1107,"products":1108,"results":1109},"Arch Systems","https:\u002F\u002Farchsys.io\u002F","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Flogos\u002Farch-systems-logo.png","FlowFuse’s enterprise features complement our broader platform strategy, helping us scale automation and streamline deployments across complex manufacturing environments. The ability to edit once and deploy everywhere has added real efficiency to how we manage integrations.","Connect and automate live production data from multiple databases across global manufacturing environments, without adding operational complexity.","Arch built standardized Node-RED subflows within FlowFuse to automate job creation in Arch React, streamlining real-time data processing and deployments.",[207,208],[1110,1111,1112],"Reliable, real-time production data ingestion and processing","Centralized DevOps pipelines simplified updates across environments","Scalable automation framework enabling rapid new-customer rollout",[469],"eNjyC7nhGKuH5ik_N5EFWEzLJP9PisXhsWkwdrq8tNA",{"id":1116,"title":1117,"body":1118,"date":1252,"description":1253,"extension":177,"hubspot":1254,"image":1256,"logo":181,"meta":1257,"navigation":196,"path":1262,"seo":1263,"stem":1264,"story":1265,"subtitle":181,"usecase":181,"__hash__":1275},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fnode-red-building-management.md","Automating Building Management with FlowFuse & Node-RED",{"type":7,"value":1119,"toc":1250},[1120,1123,1129,1135,1140,1145,1151,1157,1162,1167,1170,1176,1181,1186,1191,1196,1201,1206,1211,1216,1221,1226,1231,1234,1239],[10,1121,1122],{},"FlowFuse’s Customer Success Manager, Rob Marcer sat down with PowerWorkplace’s CTO Alan Yeung to discuss how Node-RED and FlowFuse are helping them deliver better results, with a smaller headcount, at a faster pace.",[10,1124,1125,1128],{},[484,1126,1127],{},"Rob Marcer:"," Thanks for taking the time to talk with me today. Please describe what your company does and how large it is?",[10,1130,1131,1134],{},[484,1132,1133],{},"Alan Yeung:"," We provide workplace management solutions and tools to empower companies to get better usage of their workspaces. First, we take a consultancy driven approach, we spend time understanding clients' needs, how they use spaces, and what value those spaces provide. Secondly, we create solution proposals including full system integration and design plans. Thirdly, we manage the design and implementation and finally, we provide ongoing support services. Our solution focuses are space utilization, environmental monitoring, and we also provide data analytics around energy consumption and efficiency.",[10,1136,1137,1139],{},[484,1138,1127],{}," How can you quantify the size of your organization?",[10,1141,1142,1144],{},[484,1143,1133],{}," We're a relatively small organization but most of what we do are automated solutions. Once we have implemented services for a customer, it doesn’t require much in the way of manpower to provide ongoing support. Also, as we are working with customers in multiple countries, it makes more sense for us to partner with local subcontractors for cabling and hardware installation works. In terms of our scope and scale, we operate throughout Asia Pacific. We cover around 14 countries where we have ability to deliver projects. Most of our clients are global enterprises, such as large financial institutions and technology companies. In fact, any organization which has a reasonably large real estate footprint can benefit from the services we provide. Let's say for example a customer is dealing with 5 floors within each building in multiple buildings across a region. The great thing about the solution we're providing is it’s easy to scale as a customer adds more floor space, we can take what we’ve put in place at their existing locations and deploy it to new buildings as needed.",[10,1146,1147,1150],{},[484,1148,1149],{},"Rob Marcer"," Where does Node-RED fit into your services?",[10,1152,1153,1156],{},[484,1154,1155],{},"Alan Yeung"," We deal with lots of different types of physical hardware applications and protocols, and we tend to design bespoke solutions for our clients. This means that we must deal with a wealth of different types of interface points. In terms of rapid deployment or being able to have the flexibility to introduce new components, Node-RED really is a vital piece to that puzzle. It reduces our time and investment in coding. It allows us to link almost any IoT devices or cloud data sources easily and add additional functionality as needed.",[10,1158,1159,1161],{},[484,1160,1127],{}," Where do you host Node-RED?",[10,1163,1164,1166],{},[484,1165,1133],{}," It's a mixture, there are gateway devices for example where we will run Node-RED in a workplace. We might also host Node-RED in a private cloud provided by the customer.",[10,1168,1169],{},"We are a certified Microsoft partner, so we have some Node-RED instances hosted in Azure. We are trying to move towards having less dependency on running our own environment because as I mentioned, we want to reduce the amount of time we spend on maintaining our own systems. That's where FlowFuse Cloud is interesting for us because it allows us to focus on growing our business rather than maintaining environments.",[10,1171,1172],{},[36,1173],{"alt":1174,"dataZoomable":63,"src":1175,"title":1174},"Using FlowFuse and Node-RED to automate workplaces",".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fpower-workplace-diagram.svg",[10,1177,1178,1180],{},[484,1179,1127],{}," What were you using before Node-RED?",[10,1182,1183,1185],{},[484,1184,1133],{}," We’ve used Node-RED almost since the beginning. Our background is in workplace systems integration and audio-visual system implementation. For us, Node-RED is easy to learn and allows us to implement new features and ideas in hours rather than weeks.",[10,1187,1188,1190],{},[484,1189,1127],{}," Can you think of any weaknesses in Node-RED that come to mind for you?",[10,1192,1193,1195],{},[484,1194,1133],{}," Version control could be stronger. If we have multiple people working on a flow it can be hard to spot where a new bug was introduced. We also see situations where Node-RED instances must be restarted to fix a problem or deploy a new stack. We need to find better ways to manage those administration tasks.",[10,1197,1198,1200],{},[484,1199,1149],{}," FlowFuse is working to address the challenges of version control, we've implemented our DevOps Pipelines feature which allows our users to build, test and deploy their Node-RED applications with the confidence that they can easily roll back to a previous state in a few clicks of a button. I expect a lot more to be added to FlowFuse in this area over the coming year.",[10,1202,1203,1205],{},[484,1204,1127],{}," What's been the impact of Node-RED on your business?",[10,1207,1208,1210],{},[484,1209,1133],{}," It's very significant. We didn’t want to bring in a large team of software developers and the management of them as required. Without Node-RED, we would probably spend longer time in our product development cycle with far less customers and revenue. I think it's probably allowing us to get solutions to customers at least three to five times quicker which is a game changer.",[10,1212,1213,1215],{},[484,1214,1127],{}," What technology are you using within your stack that you feel is contributing to your success alongside Node-RED?",[10,1217,1218,1220],{},[484,1219,1133],{}," Where possible we use low or no-code solutions, for example we have Xano as one of our backend platforms which allows us to build APIs very quickly for our own use and\u002For for third parties. This type of low-code technology platform allows us to create and manage applications more efficiently and quickly.",[10,1222,1223,1225],{},[484,1224,1127],{}," What have been your experiences of using FlowFuse?",[10,1227,1228,1230],{},[484,1229,1133],{}," We don't have to focus on scaling or maintaining our environment or ensuring uptime. We can focus our effort on product development to meet the increasing pace of our customer acquisition. FlowFuse removes most of our concerns about scalability and reliability.",[10,1232,1233],{},"It’s also making it a lot easier for us to complete security audits for our customers. FlowFuse’s stack is open, widely used and well documented which gives auditors confidence in our applications built on your platform.",[10,1235,1236,1238],{},[484,1237,1127],{}," Thanks for your time today, if anyone wants to know more about your services how can they find out more?",[10,1240,1241,1243,1244,1249],{},[484,1242,1133],{}," You can read more about Power Workplace on our ",[14,1245,1248],{"href":1246,"rel":1247},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.powerworkplace.com\u002F",[18],"website",".",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":1251},[],"2024-03-28","Learn how PowerWorkplace uses Node-RED and FlowFuse for scalable, rapid building management automation and robust security audits for global enterprises.",{"formId":1255},"a1c9c935-66ab-4df9-a2d6-9c77e4aeba7b","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fpower-workplace-diagram.svg",{"excerpt":1258},{"type":7,"value":1259},[1260],[10,1261,1122],{},"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fnode-red-building-management",{"title":1117,"description":1253},"customer-stories\u002Fnode-red-building-management",{"brand":1266,"url":1246,"logo":1267,"quote":1268,"challenge":1269,"solution":1270,"products":1271,"results":1272},"Power Workplace","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Flogos\u002Fpower-workplace-1.png","FlowFuse removes most of our concerns about scalability and reliability. It’s also making it a lot easier for us to complete security audits for our customers. FlowFuse’s stack is open, widely used and well documented which gives auditors confidence in our applications built on your platform.","Rapidly develop, test, and deploy tailored building management solutions.","Use FlowFuse to allow collaboration and fast deployment of Node-RED flows to customers' premises.",[207,208],[1273,1274],"Significant reduction in time to value for customers","Empowerment of the whole team to improve products and services","UmvqZ5FOQOZWTezK8evWLNyTcqByXwIyFPjRI3ojCYg",{"id":1277,"title":1278,"body":1279,"date":1369,"description":1370,"extension":177,"hubspot":1371,"image":1373,"logo":181,"meta":1374,"navigation":196,"path":1379,"seo":1380,"stem":1381,"story":1382,"subtitle":181,"usecase":181,"__hash__":1395},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fleveraging-node-red-and-flowfuse-to-automate-precision-manufacturing.md","Revolutionizing Precision Manufacturing with Node-RED",{"type":7,"value":1280,"toc":1359},[1281,1284,1287,1291,1294,1298,1301,1305,1308,1314,1318,1321,1325,1328,1331,1335,1338,1345,1349,1352,1356],[10,1282,1283],{},"In the competitive world of manufacturing, where precision, innovation, and efficiency reign supreme, Abrasive Technology has emerged as a global leader in super-abrasive tooling and coatings for a wide variety of applications.",[10,1285,1286],{},"This case study provides an in-depth exploration of how Abrasive Technology harnessed the power and flexibility of FlowFuse and Node-RED to optimize automation, streamline communication with machinery, and accelerate development processes.",[500,1288,1290],{"id":1289},"organization-profile","Organization Profile",[10,1292,1293],{},"Abrasive Technology stands as a beacon of innovation in the manufacturing sector, boasting a global presence with approximately 300 employees across all of its facilities. With a focus on diverse sectors including industrial, aerospace, dental and medical, Abrasive Technology has positioned itself as a key player in the industry. Headquartered in Lewis Center, OH and with significant operations in the UK, the company is at the forefront of cutting-edge manufacturing. Abrasive Technology's exemplary work extends to world renowned, tier 1 aerospace suppliers and throughout a wide array of manufacturing.",[500,1295,1297],{"id":1296},"challenges","Challenges",[10,1299,1300],{},"Navigating the intricacies of manufacturing across various sectors posed unique challenges for Abrasive Technology. Seeking solutions to automate processes, enhance communication with machinery, and improve overall efficiency became imperative. Josh Dudley, a pivotal figure in the organization, reflects on these challenges: \"We might have eventually accomplished certain tasks without Node-RED, but it makes these solutions quickly attainable. It empowers us to embark on projects that might have been discouraging in the past.\"",[500,1302,1304],{"id":1303},"node-red-integration","Node-RED Integration",[10,1306,1307],{},"Abrasive Technology has more than five decades of history of embracing and adopting new technology to achieve its goals and serve its customers. Dudley, a key player in this technological evolution for the past two decades, became an early adopter of Node.js running on 1st generation Raspberry Pis for machine automation and monitoring back in 2012. In 2019, an experimental automation project marked the entry of Node-RED, proving instrumental in building user interfaces for controlling robotic automation equipment, quickly and efficiently, improving communication, and providing seamless control.",[10,1309,1310],{},[36,1311],{"alt":1312,"dataZoomable":63,"src":1313,"title":1312},"Using video feeds in Node-RED dashboard to monitor precision manufacturing",".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fabrasive-tech-dashboard.png",[500,1315,1317],{"id":1316},"environmental-considerations","Environmental Considerations",[10,1319,1320],{},"Manufacturing environments, particularly those involving electro-coating processes in plating labs with high humidity and corrosion, presented unique challenges. However, Node-RED's adaptability allowed Abrasive Technology to address these concerns effectively. Dudley emphasizes, \"Environmental considerations are crucial. Node-RED facilitates placing our in-house control equipment in sealed boxes to ensure longevity.\"",[500,1322,1324],{"id":1323},"hardware-challenges-and-solutions","Hardware Challenges and Solutions",[10,1326,1327],{},"Abrasive Technology initially utilized Raspberry Pis for hosting Node-RED instances, linking them to industrialized touch screens for Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs). While Raspberry Pis proved reliable for many applications, certain projects pushed hardware capabilities. Dudley highlights: \"I have found them to be very reliable, but on the current project, I'm absolutely bumping up against its hardware capabilities.\" The anticipation of the Pi5, with enhanced capabilities, holds promise, and Dudley is eagerly awaiting its arrival.",[10,1329,1330],{},"In addition to Raspberry Pis, Abrasive Technology currently operates a server running Node-RED locally alongside instances on FlowFuse. The company is actively transitioning its Node-RED instances from locally maintained servers to FlowFuse Cloud to make it easier to manage them. Dudley notes, \"We also currently have a server Running Node-RED locally as well as instances on FlowFuse. Our search for a better way to host and manage our Node-RED instances is what started our transition to using FlowFuse.\"",[500,1332,1334],{"id":1333},"impact-on-business-operations","Impact on Business Operations",[10,1336,1337],{},"Node-RED's integration has significantly impacted Abrasive Technology's business operations. Dudley notes, \"Node-RED has immensely facilitated our work. The tool's versatility and development speed have allowed Abrasive Technology to tackle projects that might have been deemed out-of-reach or discouraging in the past. It also allows us to develop our applications in a platform agnostic way that is much more flexible and agile in terms of hardware selection and adaptability.”",[10,1339,1340],{},[36,1341],{"alt":1342,"dataZoomable":63,"src":1343,"title":1344},"Controlling a 'Y-Press' in Node-RED Dashboard",".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fabrasive-tech-dashboard-2.png","Controlling a 'Y-Press' machine in Node-RED Dashboard",[500,1346,1348],{"id":1347},"future-prospects","Future Prospects",[10,1350,1351],{},"As Abrasive Technology looks towards the future, Dudley expresses excitement about Node-RED's ongoing development. The ability to create custom nodes and contribute to the community adds to its appeal. Dudley concludes, \"I see great potential in the ongoing development and look forward to utilizing it more extensively.\"",[500,1353,1355],{"id":1354},"conclusion","Conclusion",[10,1357,1358],{},"This case study stands as a testament to how Abrasive Technology, through strategic technological integration, has transformed its manufacturing processes. By addressing challenges, streamlining communication, and embracing innovation, Abrasive Technology sets an inspiring example for the manufacturing industry's continuous evolution.",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":1360},[1361,1362,1363,1364,1365,1366,1367,1368],{"id":1289,"depth":173,"text":1290},{"id":1296,"depth":173,"text":1297},{"id":1303,"depth":173,"text":1304},{"id":1316,"depth":173,"text":1317},{"id":1323,"depth":173,"text":1324},{"id":1333,"depth":173,"text":1334},{"id":1347,"depth":173,"text":1348},{"id":1354,"depth":173,"text":1355},"2024-02-28","Read how Abrasive Technology leverages FlowFuse and Node-RED to revolutionize precision manufacturing, enhancing automation and communication efficiency in the industry.",{"formId":1372},"8569c8e2-ceca-4817-98bf-4d6cc591e93d","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fabrasive_tech.jpg",{"excerpt":1375},{"type":7,"value":1376},[1377],[10,1378,1283],{},"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fleveraging-node-red-and-flowfuse-to-automate-precision-manufacturing",{"title":1278,"description":1370},"customer-stories\u002Fleveraging-node-red-and-flowfuse-to-automate-precision-manufacturing",{"brand":1383,"url":1384,"logo":1385,"quote":1386,"challenge":1387,"solution":1388,"products":1389,"results":1392},"Abrasive Technology","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abrasive-tech.com\u002F","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Flogos\u002Fabrasive-tech-logo-4.png","Node-RED has immensely facilitated our work. The tool's versatility and development speed have allowed Abrasive Technology to tackle projects that might have been deemed out-of-reach or discouraging in the past. It also allows us to develop our applications in a platform agnostic way that is much more flexible and agile in terms of hardware selection and adaptability.","Optimise the production of precision abrasive materials.","Rapid development of command and monitoring systems using Node-RED hosted on FlowFuse.",[207,693,208,1390,1391],"FlowFuse Device Agent","FlowFuse Project Nodes",[1393,1394],"Significant impacted on Abrasive Technology's business operations","Delivered projects which previously may have not been practical","iliU31mwok2zp6eDLlD_LeOWaU4XVICY07bLIc9RBvI",{"id":1397,"title":1398,"body":1399,"date":1515,"description":1516,"extension":177,"hubspot":1517,"image":1519,"logo":181,"meta":1520,"navigation":196,"path":1525,"seo":1526,"stem":1527,"story":1528,"subtitle":181,"usecase":181,"__hash__":1539},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fleveraging-node-red-and-flowfuse-to-revolutionize-irrigation.md","Leveraging Node-RED and FlowFuse to Revolutionize Irrigation",{"type":7,"value":1400,"toc":1505},[1401,1404,1407,1411,1414,1418,1421,1429,1433,1436,1442,1446,1457,1461,1464,1468,1471,1482,1486,1489,1500,1502],[10,1402,1403],{},"In the heart of agricultural innovation, Paloma Irrigation and Drainage District (PIDD) stands as a testament to the transformative power of technology in the field. This case study delves into how PIDD leveraged Node-RED and FlowFuse to revolutionize their irrigation and water delivery systems, ultimately improving efficiency, reducing operational costs, and paving the way for the future of smart agriculture.",[10,1405,1406],{},"We sat down with PIDD’s Robert VanHofwegen to find out more about how Node-RED and FlowFuse are fundamentally changing the way they work.",[500,1408,1410],{"id":1409},"background","Background",[10,1412,1413],{},"Paloma Irrigation and Drainage District oversees the delivery of water to farmers across 30,000 acres, managing water rights and distributing approximately 185,000 acre-feet of water annually. In addition to serving the agricultural community, PIDD operates a domestic water system catering to nearly a hundred households.",[500,1415,1417],{"id":1416},"challenges-faced","Challenges Faced",[10,1419,1420],{},"Before implementing Node-RED and FlowFuse, PIDD grappled with operational challenges, including:",[237,1422,1423,1426],{},[240,1424,1425],{},"Inefficient Monitoring: Remote pump stations required frequent physical visits, resulting in time-consuming and costly operations.",[240,1427,1428],{},"Data Accessibility: Lack of real-time data accessibility led to inconsistent water management, impacting overall system stability.",[500,1430,1432],{"id":1431},"node-red-and-flowfuse-solution","Node-RED and FlowFuse Solution",[10,1434,1435],{},"Recognizing the need for a technological overhaul, PIDD embraced Node-RED, a flow-based development tool, while using FlowFuse to help manage their edge and cloud devices. This combination served as a bridge between diverse devices, including Raspberry Pis, PLCs, and more. FlowFuse played a crucial role in securely exposing and controlling these devices through web interfaces.",[10,1437,1438],{},[36,1439],{"alt":1440,"dataZoomable":63,"src":1441,"title":1440},"PIDD Overview",".\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fpidd-view.png",[500,1443,1445],{"id":1444},"key-applications","Key Applications",[237,1447,1448,1451,1454],{},[240,1449,1450],{},"Real-Time Monitoring: Node-RED empowered PIDD to monitor streamflow gauges, offering real-time insights into river water levels and trends.",[240,1452,1453],{},"Automated Notifications: FlowFuse facilitated automated alerts for critical issues, ensuring swift responses to alarm states.",[240,1455,1456],{},"Pump Efficiency: PIDD utilized Node-RED to monitor pumps and chart water levels, optimizing pump performance and enhancing overall system efficiency.",[500,1458,1460],{"id":1459},"evolving-hardware-landscape","Evolving Hardware Landscape",[10,1462,1463],{},"Initially relying on Raspberry Pi devices, PIDD faced challenges related to heat, especially in Arizona's high-temperature environment. To address this, they decided to transition to PLCs, with the Groov EPIC system being the preferred choice for improved stability in industrial use.",[500,1465,1467],{"id":1466},"impact-on-operations","Impact on Operations",[10,1469,1470],{},"The adoption of Node-RED and FlowFuse had a profound impact on PIDD's operations:",[237,1472,1473,1476,1479],{},[240,1474,1475],{},"Time Savings: Physical visits to remote locations were significantly reduced, allowing personnel to focus on more strategic tasks, several team members were spending half of each shift travelling.",[240,1477,1478],{},"Automation Efficiency: Node-RED automation streamlined processes, improving overall system reliability and responsiveness.",[240,1480,1481],{},"Recognizing the need to attract younger talent, PIDD's adoption of technology, including Node-RED, served as a strategy to appeal to a tech-savvy workforce. This approach not only modernized operations but also positioned PIDD as an appealing workplace for the younger generation.",[500,1483,1485],{"id":1484},"future-plans","Future Plans",[10,1487,1488],{},"PIDD's forward-thinking approach extends to their future plans:",[237,1490,1491,1494,1497],{},[240,1492,1493],{},"Transition to PLCs: The organization is moving towards PLCs, specifically the Groov EPIC system, for enhanced stability in challenging environmental conditions.",[240,1495,1496],{},"Command and Control with Ignition: Consideration is given to using Ignition for command and control, complemented by MQTT for data communication.",[240,1498,1499],{},"Data Retention Strategy: PIDD aims to implement a robust data retention strategy, possibly involving relational databases like MySQL or Postgres, to store and retrieve historical data.",[500,1501,1355],{"id":1354},[10,1503,1504],{},"Paloma Irrigation and Drainage District's journey showcases the tangible benefits of using FlowFuse to integrate Node-RED into agricultural operations. This case study illustrates how innovative technology solutions can address challenges, improve efficiency, and set the stage for the next era of smart agriculture. As PIDD continues to embrace these technologies, they position themselves at the forefront of sustainable and technology-driven water management in agriculture.",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":1506},[1507,1508,1509,1510,1511,1512,1513,1514],{"id":1409,"depth":173,"text":1410},{"id":1416,"depth":173,"text":1417},{"id":1431,"depth":173,"text":1432},{"id":1444,"depth":173,"text":1445},{"id":1459,"depth":173,"text":1460},{"id":1466,"depth":173,"text":1467},{"id":1484,"depth":173,"text":1485},{"id":1354,"depth":173,"text":1355},"2023-12-29","Discover how FlowFuse empowers Paloma Irrigation and Drainage District to streamline water management operations, enhancing efficiency and sustainability in agriculture.",{"formId":1518},"f77ee5dd-6e7a-4475-aa66-4f1824aab8d7","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fpidd-view.png",{"excerpt":1521},{"type":7,"value":1522},[1523],[10,1524,1403],{},"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fleveraging-node-red-and-flowfuse-to-revolutionize-irrigation",{"title":1398,"description":1516},"customer-stories\u002Fleveraging-node-red-and-flowfuse-to-revolutionize-irrigation",{"brand":1529,"url":181,"logo":1530,"quote":1531,"challenge":1532,"solution":1533,"products":1534,"results":1535},"Paloma Irrigation and Drainage District","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Flogos\u002Fpidd-logo.jpg","Once we settled on using Node-RED, we knew we needed a solution to help us manage our edge devices as well as our central control system. FlowFuse has helped us take our Node-RED from proof-of-concept through to a reliable, scalable solution for the future.","Automate and optimize delivery of 185,000 acre-feet of water annually.","Using FlowFuse to manage remote Node-RED edge applications.",[207,208,1390,1391],[1536,1537,1538],"Removed the need to travel to pumping stations for normal operation","More efficient use of limited water resource","Attracting the next generation of engineers to work in irrigation","l5iEHsQpJY2_vKW1q-NbjcfRPFXpZ29CH9Ewnzzn9cU",{"id":4,"title":5,"body":1541,"date":175,"description":176,"extension":177,"hubspot":1632,"image":180,"logo":181,"meta":1633,"navigation":196,"path":197,"seo":1647,"stem":199,"story":1648,"subtitle":181,"usecase":181,"__hash__":212},{"type":7,"value":1542,"toc":1630},[1543,1554,1558,1566,1578,1586,1595,1597,1611,1617,1619,1624,1628],[10,1544,12,1545,20,1548,26,1551,32],{},[14,1546,19],{"href":16,"rel":1547},[18],[14,1549,25],{"href":23,"rel":1550},[18],[14,1552,31],{"href":29,"rel":1553},[18],[10,1555,1556,41],{},[36,1557],{"alt":38,"src":39,"title":40},[10,1559,44,1560,50,1563,56],{},[14,1561,49],{"href":47,"rel":1562},[18],[14,1564,55],{"href":53,"rel":1565},[18],[10,1567,1568,1570],{},[36,1569],{"alt":61,"src":62,"title":61,"dataZoomable":63},[65,1571,67,1572,73,1575,79],{},[14,1573,72],{"href":70,"rel":1574},[18],[14,1576,78],{"href":76,"rel":1577},[18],[10,1579,82,1580,87,1583,93],{},[14,1581,86],{"href":70,"rel":1582},[18],[14,1584,92],{"href":90,"rel":1585},[18],[10,1587,1588,1590],{},[36,1589],{"alt":98,"src":99,"title":100,"dataZoomable":63},[65,1591,103,1592,108],{},[14,1593,107],{"href":90,"rel":1594},[18],[10,1596,111],{},[10,1598,114,1599,120,1602,126,1605,132,1608,138],{},[14,1600,119],{"href":117,"rel":1601},[18],[14,1603,125],{"href":123,"rel":1604},[18],[14,1606,131],{"href":129,"rel":1607},[18],[14,1609,137],{"href":135,"rel":1610},[18],[10,1612,1613,1615],{},[36,1614],{"alt":143,"src":144,"title":145},[65,1616,148],{},[10,1618,151],{},[10,1620,154,1621,160],{},[14,1622,159],{"href":157,"rel":1623},[18],[10,1625,163,1626,168],{},[14,1627,167],{"href":166},[10,1629,171],{},{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":1631},[],{"formId":179},{"excerpt":1634},{"type":7,"value":1635},[1636],[10,1637,12,1638,20,1641,26,1644,32],{},[14,1639,19],{"href":16,"rel":1640},[18],[14,1642,25],{"href":23,"rel":1643},[18],[14,1645,31],{"href":29,"rel":1646},[18],{"title":5,"description":176},{"brand":19,"url":201,"logo":202,"quote":203,"challenge":204,"solution":205,"products":1649,"results":1650},[207,208],[210,211],{"id":1652,"title":1653,"body":1654,"date":1705,"description":1658,"extension":177,"hubspot":1706,"image":1708,"logo":1709,"meta":1710,"navigation":196,"path":1715,"seo":1716,"stem":1717,"story":1718,"subtitle":181,"usecase":181,"__hash__":1727},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fun-wmo-nr-data-sharing.md","World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Uses Node-RED to Modernize Sharing of Earth-System Data",{"type":7,"value":1655,"toc":1703},[1656,1659,1667,1670,1678,1681,1684,1687,1700],[10,1657,1658],{},"The UN World Meteorological Organization is modernizing the way weather data is shared between the 200 plus member countries. Node-RED is being used by one of the member countries to implement a key part of the new architecture.",[10,1660,82,1661,1666],{},[14,1662,1665],{"href":1663,"rel":1664},"https:\u002F\u002Fpublic.wmo.int\u002Fen",[18],"World Meteorological Organization (WMO)"," is responsible for coordinating the sharing of weather information between countries' weather services. The sharing of data between countries makes weather forecasting more accurate and provides the data for key issues impacting the global community, such as climate change.",[10,1668,1669],{},"The current Global Telecommunication System (GTS) of sharing weather data was developed over 50 years ago and is based on a stored and forward protocol. The GTS was developed before the Internet and uses private networks and specific data exchange mechanisms. The current system is costly to operate, and not scalable to meet the needs of both the volume and variety of data.",[10,1671,1672,1677],{},[14,1673,1676],{"href":1674,"rel":1675},"https:\u002F\u002Fcommunity.wmo.int\u002Fen\u002FWIS2_Technical_Specification_Guidance",[18],"WMO Information System 2.0 (WIS 2.0)"," is the new framework being put in place to replace the GTS. The goal of WIS 2.0 is to meet the demands of high data volume, the increasing variety of data and the requirement for more real time exchange of data. It is based on the principles of simple data exchange, open standards and cloud-ready solutions. The architecture of WIS 2.0 is data exchange through a  publish\u002Fsubscribe protocol based on MQTT. Each country will publish notifications that their data is available and other countries will subscribe to the data that they require to do their forecasting and others weather, climate, hydrology and ocean related activities. Global Brokers and Global Caches are key centers around the world, providing a quick and reliable access to the core data. Each country, Global Cache and Global Brokers are responsible for operating their own MQTT broker.",[10,1679,1680],{},"Rémy Giraud (Météo-France) is the Chair of the WMO SC-IMT (Standing Committee on Information Management and Technology) and has played an active role in the definition and implementation of WIS 2.0. He is also Head of IT Infrastructure Department at Météo-France. Part of his responsibilities was to set up Météo-France Global Broker. The Global Broker has two components. The first one being a standard, clustered MQTT broker that subscribes to all the brokers in each country, Global Caches and other Global Brokers. The second being a feature called the AntiLoop. The AntiLoop component is checking syntactically the messages received from each remote broker and is also required to ensure there is no duplication of published messages by different countries, the Global Cache or other Global Brokers. Rémy Giraud decided to implement Météo-France Global Broker using VerneMQ as the MQTT broker and Node-RED for the AntiLoop.",[10,1682,1683],{},"‘Node-RED was the right platform to use to build the AntiLoop part of the Global Broker’, explains Rémy Giraud. ‘Node-RED has many nodes, including extremely configurable MQTT nodes, so we were able to quickly implement the checks and the deduplication code in just a few days. We have been running the Global Broker with no problems as part of a pilot phase for the best part of a year now. Node-RED has proven to be a very reliable platform.’",[10,1685,1686],{},"In the pilot phase, the Global Broker is handling more than 45,000 messages over a 15 minutes period. Once the system moves into operational mode (from 2024 onwards), the Global Broker will be responsible for coordinating the data from over 200 Member countries plus other institutions that will publish and subscribe to the data. The total message traffic for the operational system is expected to increase 10-fold, reaching more than 30000 messages per minute.",[10,1688,1689,1690,1695,1696,1249],{},"The implementation of the Global Broker has undergone continued development and improvements. The source code has also been made available under an open source license on ",[14,1691,1694],{"href":1692,"rel":1693},"https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002Fgolfvert\u002FWIS2-GlobalBroker-Redundancy",[18],"Github"," so it can be a reference implementation on how to implement the ",[14,1697,1699],{"href":1674,"rel":1698},[18],"Global Broker technical specification",[10,1701,1702],{},"Node-RED has proven to be a platform easy to use, quick to get results and reliable for running high performance applications.",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":1704},[],"2023-09-07",{"formId":1707},"37f86f46-62d1-4203-bce9-0318ce993710","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fun-wmo.jpg","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Flogos\u002Flogo_wmo.png",{"excerpt":1711},{"type":7,"value":1712},[1713],[10,1714,1658],{},"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fun-wmo-nr-data-sharing",{"title":1653,"description":1658},"customer-stories\u002Fun-wmo-nr-data-sharing",{"brand":1719,"url":181,"logo":1709,"quote":1720,"challenge":1721,"solution":1722,"products":1723,"results":1724},"WMO","Node-RED was the right platform to use to build the AntiLoop part of the Global Broker... Node-RED has proven to be a very reliable platform.","Modernize global weather data sharing protocol to meet higher demand for real-time data","Using the Node-RED platform to address these challenges.",[207],[1725,1726],"Node-RED's MQTT nodes used to implement AntiLoop part of the Global Broker","Pilot system handling 45,000 message \u002F 15 minutes; Production system will handle 30,000\u002Fminute","mQdY_7iZiwHOAaRPtuD-KuTWoqAq-WKjfWwTTLQ-hPM",{"id":1729,"title":1730,"body":1731,"date":1807,"description":1808,"extension":177,"hubspot":1809,"image":1811,"logo":181,"meta":1812,"navigation":196,"path":1817,"seo":1818,"stem":1819,"story":1820,"subtitle":181,"usecase":181,"__hash__":1831},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fopto22-embraces-node-red.md","Opto 22 Embraces Node-RED to Drive Customer Innovation",{"type":7,"value":1732,"toc":1805},[1733,1736,1739,1742,1751,1754,1757,1796,1799,1802],[10,1734,1735],{},"Opto 22 is a US-based industrial automation hardware and software manufacturer based in Temecula, California. The company specializes in providing high-quality, ruggedized hardware to a wide range of industries, including Manufacturing, Process Control, Oil & Gas, Water \u002F Waste Water, Utilities, etc.",[10,1737,1738],{},"Opto 22 has a history of innovation in the industrial hardware industry, being the first vendor to standardize on Ethernet and TCP\u002FIP connections, being one of the original vendors behind the OPC standard, and participating in the steering committee of the more recent Sparkplug standard.",[10,1740,1741],{},"In 2014, Opto 22 was introducing its first Linux-based hardware called the Opto groov Appliance. At this time, Benson Hougland, VP of Marketing and Product Strategy at Opto 22, and Ben Orchard, Application Engineer at Opto 22 saw a need to make it easier to connect Opto 22 hardware with other devices, sensors, and actuators, in addition to connecting with emerging data services in the cloud. Through lots of research and experimentation, they discovered Node-RED and found it a natural fit for process control engineers who were used to ‘programming’ with flowcharts and diagrams. When Opto 22 introduced its groov EPIC edge programmable industrial controller platform to market in 2018, Node-RED came pre-installed on the device.",[10,1743,1744,1745,1750],{},"After the launch of the groov EPIC, Opto 22 began developing Node-RED nodes to make the interfacing the two products seamless. Nodes were created to make it easier to communicate with the groov View software, the groov hardware industrial controllers, and the I\u002FO signals on the hardware platform. Opto 22 also heavily invested in creating a ",[14,1746,1749],{"href":1747,"rel":1748},"https:\u002F\u002Fopto22.com\u002Fsupport\u002Fresources-tools\u002Fvideos\u002Fplaylist-node-red-workshops",[18],"series of videos"," showing how to use Node-RED to build industrial automation solutions. The goal of the videos was to showcase the power of Node-RED in the industrial automation industries.",[10,1752,1753],{},"The result of Opto 22’s investment in Node-RED has been a huge success. According to Benson Hougland, “We now have customers all across the world building amazing applications with Node-RED that really demonstrates the innovation and creativity of combining easy-to-use software and hardware at the edge.”  Today, Node-RED is shipped pre-installed on every groov EPIC and groov RIO (remote I\u002FO) from Opto 22. According to Hougland, an estimated 30-40% of their customers have deployed Node-RED applications on Opto 22 hardware.",[10,1755,1756],{},"Node-RED is being used by Opto 22 customers in a range of use cases. Some of the more common examples are:",[1758,1759,1760,1766,1772,1778,1784],"ol",{},[240,1761,1762,1765],{},[484,1763,1764],{},"Collecting operational data and storing this data in a SQL database",". According to Hougland, ‘The ability to collect sensor data, control variables, etc., and store this data in a SQL database is very easy with Node-RED. There are other middleware solutions available but Node-RED makes it dead simple.’",[240,1767,1768,1771],{},[484,1769,1770],{},"Accessing external data from the control system to make control decisions",". It is often the case that industrial equipment needs access to external data to make control system decisions. For example, weather data is used in lots of applications to determine the efficiency of machinery. Opto 22 has a customer that manages wind turbines in California. The electrical utility will charge a negative tariff if the turbines generate power for the grid when the grid is over-saturated. Therefore, the Opto 22 customer has deployed Opto groov hardware at each turbine that uses Node-RED to access, every 5 minutes, the spot price for the grid, to determine if the turbine should be generating power or not. The customer realized immediate ROI by reducing their negative tariff charges.",[240,1773,1774,1777],{},[484,1775,1776],{},"Creating alerts and notifications for industrial events",". Manufacturers often need to send alerts or notifications when a piece of equipment fails or needs servicing. Node-RED makes it very easy to send an alert or notification to any communication channel. Node-RED nodes are available for sending notifications via email, text, text-to-speech, Slack, changing stack lights, etc.",[240,1779,1780,1783],{},[484,1781,1782],{},"Reading Modbus data."," Modbus is a widely used protocol for industrial devices that is supported on groov EPIC. Opto 22 customers are using Node-RED to transform Modbus registry data into human-readable, contextual data that can be used by other applications on the EPIC or sent to the cloud for processing.",[240,1785,1786,1789,1790,1795],{},[484,1787,1788],{},"Bridging new equipment with legacy equipment."," Manufacturing plants have significant investments in legacy equipment that sometimes isn’t easy to access. This makes it difficult to introduce new technologies, like vision analytics, into a manufacturing line. Opto 22 customer, ",[14,1791,1794],{"href":1792,"rel":1793},"https:\u002F\u002Fopto22.com\u002Fproducts\u002Fgroov-case-studies\u002Fcase-study-intrinsics",[18],"Intrinsics"," wanted to improve their quality control using cameras and vision analytics. They added a camera to the manufacturing line that sent images directly to a cloud vision analytics service that evaluates a pass or fail. However, the PLC controlling the line could not receive the pass\u002Ffall notification. Therefore, they added a groov Rio, running Node-RED that received the pass\u002Ffail message from the analytics service and was able to connect with the legacy PLC to forward the control decision.",[10,1797,1798],{},"‘Node-RED makes it so easy to extend and innovate on a hardware platform,’ comments Ben Orchard. ‘The industrial automation industry has a history of offering proprietary drivers to add functionality to a hardware platform. People are tired of this approach. Using Node-RED only requires that you have a web browser to get access to your data and put the data anywhere. It really promotes a lot of freedom and innovation. Node-RED’s open approach is definitely the present and the future for our industry.’",[10,1800,1801],{},"Opto 22 early adoption of Node-RED has certainly proven the correct choice. Opto 22 customers benefit from an open, low-code platform for creating innovative new industrial applications. Opto 22 has attracted a wider community of industrial engineers who are interested in using modern, open tools. Opto 22 continues to be an innovator in the industrial hardware industry.",[10,1803,1804],{},"‘We love Node-RED,’ explains Benson Hougland. ‘We continue to win new customers based on our commitment to providing a first-class Node-RED experience. We think it is the right tool for our customers who are transforming their operations to be more digitally connected.’",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":1806},[],"2023-06-01","Learn how Opto 22 leverages Node-RED to drive innovation in industrial automation. Learn about their commitment to integrating Node-RED into their hardware devices.",{"formId":1810},"ef2e9c57-df05-456e-a612-0531c3241002","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Fopto22.jpg",{"excerpt":1813},{"type":7,"value":1814},[1815],[10,1816,1735],{},"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fopto22-embraces-node-red",{"title":1730,"description":1808},"customer-stories\u002Fopto22-embraces-node-red",{"brand":1821,"logo":1822,"url":1823,"quote":1804,"challenge":1824,"solution":1825,"products":1826,"results":1827},"Opto 22","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Flogos\u002Flogo_opto22_red.png","https:\u002F\u002Fopto22.com\u002F","Make it easier to connect Opto 22 hardware with other devices, sensors, and actuators, in addition to connecting with emerging data services in the cloud.","Using Node-RED low-code visual programming environment.",[207,208,1390,1391],[1828,1829,1830],"All Opto 22 groov hardware ships with Node-RED","30-40% of Opto 22 customers use Node-RED","Customers building amazing applications to drive innovation in industry","sQDVKOP6WUPBU5s_0cMvsJfZlX0bzNyHWapPheuA0rE",{"id":1833,"title":1834,"body":1835,"date":1896,"description":1897,"extension":177,"hubspot":1898,"image":1900,"logo":181,"meta":1901,"navigation":196,"path":1908,"seo":1909,"stem":1910,"story":1911,"subtitle":181,"usecase":1920,"__hash__":1921},"stories\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fmanufacturing-digital-transformation.md","Node-RED Enables Digital Transformation of a Large US Manufacturing Company",{"type":7,"value":1836,"toc":1894},[1837,1844,1851,1854,1867,1870,1877,1880,1887],[10,1838,1839,1840,1843],{},"A ",[484,1841,1842],{},"large US based manufacturing company is using Node-RED"," to enable the digital transformation of their entire manufacturing operations. The company has a global footprint with dozens of different locations and over ten thousand employees.",[10,1845,1846,1847,1850],{},"They began their digital transformation and Node-RED journey in 2018. Today ",[484,1848,1849],{},"they have thousands of Node-RED instances deployed"," across their manufacturing sites that are enabling applications that have transformed the manufacturing operations.",[10,1852,1853],{},"Before they began their digital transformation, the company’s manufacturing data was recorded on paper or not accessible from the manufacturing machinery. It was very difficult to provide a holistic visibility of the operations, predict future maintenance requirements or proactively react to events on the shop floor. The company's MES system was focused on what to build and how to build it but not measuring, understanding or improving the processes.",[10,1855,1856,1857,1860,1861,1866],{},"Node-RED quickly became a key enabling technology for many of their digital transformation projects. ",[484,1858,1859],{},"Node-RED gave them the tool to start providing visibility into the data"," they required for these projects. Many of these projects were based on the ",[14,1862,1865],{"href":1863,"rel":1864},"https:\u002F\u002Fgoleansixsigma.com\u002Fdmaic-five-basic-phases-of-lean-six-sigma\u002F",[18],"Lean Sigma DMAIC"," approach to process improvement, where Node-RED enabled the analyze step of the process. The applications included implementation of continuous improvement ideas, process improvement to staffing handbooks, and systems to facilitate better communication between areas. Due to the data availability enabled by Node-RED they were able to transition their daily operation planning stand-up meeting that was done at a white board and data on paper to a meeting based on real time data displayed on computing monitors.",[10,1868,1869],{},"A team of 5 Node-RED developers has created hundreds of different applications that have been deployed in the factories. Thousands of Node-RED instances are deployed on industrial computers (IPC) located throughout the different factories. These computers running Node-RED collect the data from the various sensors, PLCs and cameras located in the production lines, interpret the data to understand equipment efficiency, and then send it to the cloud. Other computers and monitors will then display the real time data on the shop floor so the operations team has visibility into the current operation.",[10,1871,1872,1873,1876],{},"According to the Node-RED project leader ",[484,1874,1875],{},"the key benefit of using Node-RED for their digital transformation is the low code visual programming paradigm",". The team of Node-RED developers are former manufacturing engineers that have intimate knowledge of the operations. Node-RED makes it possible for these engineers to develop high quality code without extensive software development experience. The large set of available nodes makes it faster to develop and allows for a degree of standardization of code that promotes higher quality and less technical debt. The ability to create custom nodes allows the group to implement custom nodes of internal processes that can then be shared across all applications. Creating standard patterns for everyone to follow. The visual programming environment also allows the project leader to easily review and understand flows developed by junior programmers to help with training and continued quality.",[10,1878,1879],{},"Some limitations they have noticed of Node-RED is the ability to orchestrate software delivery pipelines, version control and tools for teams of developers. It has become very difficult to maintain and track the thousands of Node-RED instances and versions of these instances that they have developed.",[10,1881,1882,1883,1886],{},"The company is using the FlowFuse platform to address these challenges. ",[484,1884,1885],{},"They are using FlowFuse to manage the deployment of Node-RED instances out to thousands of remote devices and maintain multiple versions of the instances",". In addition, they use FlowFuse delivery pipelines and collaboration tools to improve the reliability and efficiency of their development processes.",[10,1888,1889,1890,1893],{},"Overall, ",[484,1891,1892],{},"the project leader sees Node-RED as the future of software development",". The low code paradigm makes it possible for companies to decentralize innovation within an organization. Allowing subject matter experts to build digital systems that drive innovation.",{"title":63,"searchDepth":173,"depth":173,"links":1895},[],"2023-05-04","Read how a US manufacturing giant uses Node-RED and FlowFuse for digital transformation, deploying thousands of instances to boost operational efficiency and innovation.",{"formId":1899},"826044fa-9760-4f47-84d0-bfe0234f1fa7","\u002Fimages\u002Fstories\u002Flarge-us-manufacturing.jpg",{"excerpt":1902},{"type":7,"value":1903},[1904],[10,1905,1839,1906,1843],{},[484,1907,1842],{},"\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002Fmanufacturing-digital-transformation",{"title":1834,"description":1897},"customer-stories\u002Fmanufacturing-digital-transformation",{"brand":1912,"url":181,"quote":1913,"challenge":1914,"solution":1915,"products":1916,"results":1917},"Manufacturing Company","Overall, the project leader sees Node-RED as the future of software development. The low code paradigm makes it possible for companies to decentralize innovation within an organization","Maintain and track the thousands of Node-RED developed instances and versions of these instances.","Using the FlowFuse platform to address these challenges.",[207,693,208,1390,1391],[1918,1919],"Managing the deployment of Node-RED instances out to thousands of remote devices and maintain multiple versions of the instances.","Using FlowFuse delivery pipelines and collaboration tools to improve the reliability and efficiency of their development processes.",[469],"idYoHTWwCdTxnDQhC6d7iWGNJuMVHHytfHk2qM3yxfI",1786725156656]