Integration failures look like “the MES is wrong” when the root cause is a PLC tag that stopped updating after a network change. Our integration service designs the path end-to-end: cables, VLANs, protocol converters, application mappings, and failure behaviour.
Integration domains
We integrate at multiple layers: fieldbus and Ethernet/IP device networks; PLC-to-PLC coordination; SCADA and historian connections; OPC and REST bridges to manufacturing execution systems; and selective ERP-facing data flows where OT/IT governance allows. Each layer has an interface control document—ICD—listing identifiers, update rates, quality flags, and responsible party for maintenance.
Brownfield sites in Victoria often run parallel networks grown over years. We map what exists, propose segmentation that respects maintenance laptops and OEM remote support, and migrate in phases rather than demanding a single outage weekend for everything.
Commissioning methodology
Integration testing includes nominal data flow, burst conditions, communication loss, and recovery. We verify that alarms propagate correctly when a link drops—not only that tags read correctly once. Time synchronisation and daylight-saving edge cases are checked where timestamps matter for compliance or traceability.
Security-aware design
We follow your cyber policy. We do not bypass corporate firewalls casually or install unapproved remote access tools. Where air gaps exist, we design data diodes, scheduled exports, or manual transfer procedures that quality can sign off. See also OT cyber hygiene for baseline practices we recommend after handover.
Common pain points we resolve
- Duplicate tag naming between OEM machines and plant SCADA
- Historian gaps after PLC firmware upgrade changed address mapping
- MES downtime reasons that never match operator-facing alarms
- Remote vendor VPNs conflicting with new VLAN design
Deliverables
Updated network diagrams, switch configuration backups, ICD revisions, test scripts and results, and runbooks for “integration link down” scenarios. Handover includes a single index of all integration points so future projects do not rediscover mappings by packet capture.