Paul Clarke

The Unified Namespace (UNS) is increasingly viewed as a critical architecture approach in manufacturing environments as it enables effective communication between devices, equipment, platforms, and systems. As with all technology architectures, cybersecurity is an essential consideration. In this blog, we’ll give an overview of cybersecurity best practices to protect systems, data, and the UNS. Cybersecurity …

Best Practices for Security in the Unified Namespace (UNS) Read More »

The unified namespace (UNS) is a hot topic in manufacturing right now, largely because it is a key component to digital transformation success. We’ll explain what UNS is in this blog and why it is so important. At a high level, it is about data, integration, and communication. Data, Integration, and Communication Data is at …

What is the Unified Namespace (UNS)? Read More »

Bridging the gap between IT and OT is a key objective for a growing number of organisations in the life sciences sector. The benefits of doing so are substantial, including having increased OT oversight and being able to use OT data to transform business operations. When bridging the IT/OT gap, it is essential to understand …

Understanding Cybersecurity Risks When Bridging the IT/OT Gap Read More »

Digitalising pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing facilities is a high priority for companies in the life sciences sector. Achieving this priority involves developing fully integrated production lines while maintaining (and improving) compliance with GxP regulations. Eliminating manual data entry is an essential requirement to reach this level of digitalisation. The rewards of creating the fully …

Eliminating Manual Data Entry – An Essential Requirement for Pharma and MedTech Manufacturers Read More »

Manufacturing in all sectors and industries is changing as smart manufacturing technologies, the industrial internet of things, and Industry 4.0 best practices continue to advance. What about the life sciences sector specifically? Here are the 2023 smart manufacturing trends that pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers need to be aware of. Integration of MES, SCADA, and …

Smart Manufacturing Trends for 2023 in the Life Sciences Sector Read More »

Transforming your life sciences facility into a factory of the future involves implementing smart manufacturing solutions as part of a digitalisation strategy. Those solutions will ensure you get the benefits of digitalised processes while establishing the foundations for the next stage of your journey. There will be challenges, however, and one of the most important …

Smart Manufacturing Solutions and the Importance of Data Integrity Read More »

Systems integration is an essential part of any modernisation and improvement project in manufacturing organisations. Systems integration is also the cornerstone of Industry 4.0, and it is central to the development of the smart factory of the future. What does systems integration mean in practice for manufacturers in the life sciences sector? One of the …

The Importance of Systems Integration to Optimise Your SCADA, MES, and ERP Systems Read More »

The regulated sector, including pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, is going through a period of transformational change. These changes are being driven by new product innovations, market pressures, the evolving regulatory landscape, and customer/end-user demands. MES solutions, powered by the platform Ignition, are enabling manufacturers to respond, including manufacturers in highly regulated industries. SL Controls …

Utilising the Power of Ignition in the Delivery of MES Solutions for the Regulated Sector Read More »

Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing is on its way. It was announced last year as one of several new industry clouds that Microsoft is developing, and it is currently in preview mode. What can manufacturers in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and technologies industries expect from this new Microsoft solution? For us at SL Controls, Microsoft’s Azure …

What is Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing and What Can You Expect? Read More »

In previous blogs in this series, we looked at one of the unintended consequences of implementing Industry 4.0 technologies and processes – the increased attack surface. In other words, the more equipment you connect, the larger the target for would-be attackers. We also looked at the challenges of dealing with this Industry 4.0 cybersecurity issue, …

An Overview of the Industry 4.0 Cybersecurity Risk Mitigation Process Read More »

In a recent blog, we highlighted the cybersecurity risks that are created by the increasing attack surface in manufacturing organisations. As a quick recap, as you integrate systems, platforms, and equipment, and as you connect elements of your operation to the cloud, the potential attack surface in your organisation expands, exposing you to higher cybersecurity …

Taking a Holistic Approach to Cybersecurity in the Transition to Becoming a Smart Factory Read More »

Businesses in all industries face an ever-increasing range of cybersecurity risks. This includes companies in the manufacturing sector. When you look at regulated industries such as pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing, where patient safety is a top priority, cybersecurity risk levels can be even higher. Industry 4.0 technologies and solutions almost always modify existing risks …

The Cybersecurity Risks Created by Industry 4.0’s Increased Attack Surface Read More »

For pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, repeatability is a primary goal when developing new manufacturing software solutions. The concept is simple – you select a facility or production line for the initial project, creating a software solution to deliver on your manufacturing and business objectives. Once you have that operational and delivering results, you can …

Build Once, Deploy Multiple Times in Seconds – Cloud-Based Solutions for Pharma & MedTech Manufacturers Read More »

Implementing Industry 4.0 and smart factory solutions in your manufacturing operation requires a fresh approach to solution delivery, platform implementation, and IT infrastructure. Central to most solutions is the use of cloud technologies, such as Microsoft Azure. At SL Controls, we have extensive experience working with a range of cloud solution providers. Plus, we offer …

Benefits of Microsoft Azure for Manufacturers in the Life Sciences & Technology Sectors Read More »

OEE is a well-established method of measuring productivity in manufacturing operations. Its origins can be traced back to the 1950s, however, so does it still have relevance today in the Industry 4.0 era? Not only is OEE still relevant, but its importance has been amplified with the opportunities and challenges created by Industry 4.0 technologies …

The Relevance of OEE in the Industry 4.0 and Smart Factory Era Read More »

OEE – Overall Equipment Effectiveness – has long been a performance measurement used in factories to reduce costs, improve quality, increase capacity, and more. The objective is always to optimise OEE. How can Smart Factory technologies help with this optimisation? Let’s first quickly define the Smart Factory. It’s a complex picture but, at its simplest, …

How Smart Factory Solutions Improve OEE in Modern Manufacturing Facilities Read More »

As automation, machine learning, sensor technologies, remote monitoring, artificial intelligence, etc advance, manufacturing companies increasingly rely on bespoke software solutions to achieve their objectives. This includes both fully bespoke solutions and software that is customised according to your requirements. Delivering this type of tailored software to the regulated sector – such as to pharmaceutical or …

Delivering Bespoke Software Solutions to Companies in the Regulated Sector Read More »

In manufacturing environments, vendor neutrality typically refers to software platforms and solutions that can operate regardless of machine or equipment vendors. The aim of this type of software is usually to improve performance as well as deepening levels of integration on the production line to enhance efficiency and productivity. Even for software platforms and solutions …

What Is Vendor Neutral and Why It’s Important to Your Manufacturing Facility? Read More »

Batch changeovers are an essential part of many manufacturing facilities. They also represent a loss of productivity, however. After all, when you are changing batches, you are not producing products. This is amplified further in pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities where the batch changeover and batch control processes are subject to regulations. So, how do you reduce …

Automation of the Batch Changeover Process – Saving the Time Between Batches You Don’t Have Read More »

OEE, TEEP, and OOE are terms often used in the manufacturing industry. What do they mean, however, how do you calculate them, and why are they important? OEE, TEEP, and OOE are different methods of defining the availability of your production line. In other words, they measure the difference between how much good products you …

OEE, TEEP, and OOE – What is the Difference? Read More »

OEE is one of the most important performance measurements in modern manufacturing facilities. By optimising OEE, you can increase capacity, reduce costs, improve quality, and/or increase efficiencies in your production lines. Now, here is the really interesting part – it’s possible to achieve significant performance gains in your manufacturing facility by optimising OEE. Before getting …

OEE and Why It’s Important Read More »

Data is essential in modern manufacturing. Without data, you must make decisions based on guesswork and hunches. It is also harder to identify risks and opportunities without data. In addition, modern regulatory systems are data dependent. It is not enough to have data, however, as you must also have data integrity. After all, the value …

Data Integrity in the Manufacturing Process Read More »

There are machines, software solutions, processes, and equipment that can and will improve your production line output as well as the profitability of your business. There are also things that will cost money to implement but will deliver negligible improvements. Making a distinction between the two is the conundrum facing managers in today’s manufacturing facilities. …

Convincing Management it’s time for Machine Monitoring Software Read More »

Data is central to almost all significant improvements your production line and overall operation will experience over the coming years. Industry 4.0, enhancing OEE, automating additional processes, integrating machines and platforms – all this and more relies on data. In simple terms, this means a machine putting out data and another machine or system acting …

Harmonising Data from Different Manufacturing Control Systems Read More »

If you’re in a regulated sector like pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturing, what type of software provider is right for your needs? Firstly, you need a provider that delivers bespoke solutions with complete flexibility. Secondly, you need a provider that has access to the right expertise and adequate resources. This means you need a provider …

Why the Regulated Sector Needs Bespoke Software Solution Providers That Are Not Too Big or Too Small Read More »

It’s Christmas and everyone is looking forward to the time off. All that’s left to do is to switch off all the equipment on the line, turn the lights off, and head home. How you do this, however, will have a major impact on what happens when you start up again in January. If you …

The Importance of a Controlled Christmas Shutdown Read More »