Best Practices for Implementing Enterprise Solutions in Multi-Site Manufacturing Environments with MQTT and Ignition

In today's rapidly evolving industrial landscape, the need for contextualized, reliable data communication across multiple manufacturing sites to the enterprise is paramount. The MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport) protocol, co-developed by Cirrus Link Solutions, has emerged as a go-to solution for enabling seamless data exchange in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. When combined with Ignition, the robust platform offered by Inductive Automation, MQTT can transform multi-site manufacturing enterprises into a highly connected, efficient, and data-driven decision-making organization.

There are three core components to implementing enterprise business solutions designed to integrate the interchange of information from various business process areas and OT data in multi-site manufacturing organizations: data standardization, data connectivity, and enterprise enablement.

Data Standardization

Data standardization in Operational Technology (OT) offers a myriad of benefits that enhance the efficiency, reliability, and overall performance of industrial operations. In most organizations, manufacturing sites are constructed at different times, with different hardware and configured with different tag naming conventions. This makes utilizing data across the enterprise costly and prohibitive if transformative standards are not deployed. Ignition connects data producers, such as PLCs, sensors, OPC-UA servers, and other OT devices, enabling the transformation of data into an enterprise standard across all locations. This data transformation adds valuable contextual information and enterprise-wide data modeling through UDTs (User Defined Templates), simplifying and enhancing data ingestion for enterprise applications. Here are some key advantages:

• Interoperability: By standardizing data formats, protocols, and interfaces, different OT systems and devices can seamlessly communicate and share information. This interoperability reduces integration complexity and ensures consistent data flow across the enterprise.
• Enhanced Data Quality: Standardization ensures that data is accurate, consistent, and reliable. It eliminates discrepancies and redundancies, leading to better decision-making and more efficient operations.
• Simplified Maintenance and Support: Standardized data formats and interfaces make it easier to maintain and support OT systems. It reduces the need for custom solutions and simplifies troubleshooting, leading to lower maintenance costs and reduced downtime.
• Scalability: Standardization facilitates the scalable deployment of new technologies and systems. It allows for easy expansion of OT networks and integration of additional devices without significant reconfiguration or customization.
• Operational Efficiency: Standardized data processes streamline operations by reducing manual interventions, automating data workflows, and improving coordination between different departments and systems. This leads to increased productivity and operational efficiency.

Another aspect of data standardization is that it enables the definition of data within a UNS (Unified Namespace) in addition to tag naming conventions and contextualization. The UNS provides a cohesive and efficient way to manage industrial data, enhancing visibility, control, and process optimization across the enterprise. It serves as the backbone of a digital transformation strategy, driving smarter and more informed decision-making.

In essence, data standardization in OT creates a solid foundation for modern industrial operations, enabling organizations to harness the full potential of their data and achieve greater operational excellence.

Data Connectivity

With Ignition enabling data standardization, the next step is to implement a technology that connects this valuable information to the enterprise — enter MQTT and Sparkplug. MQTT is a lightweight, publish-subscribe messaging protocol ideal for IIoT applications due to its simplicity, efficiency, and ability to handle real-time data communication. MQTT decouples data producers from consumers, allowing for scalable and flexible communication architectures.

The Sparkplug protocol is an open-source specification developed by Cirrus Link Solutions and hosted by the Eclipse Foundation. It provides a standard framework for integrating data within MQTT. It defines the MQTT topic namespace, payload, and session state management tailored for real-time data solutions.

The addition of Cirrus Link MQTT modules in Ignition enables it to publish and subscribe to contextualized UNS data via an MQTT server. This facilitates the secure outbound push of data from the OT level to the IT level across a DMZ, following ISA-95 standards. The central Ignition hub subscribes to the MQTT server, automatically self-learning the contextualized data and recreating this information from each manufacturing site. After this self-discovery and creation, it receives data change events in real time, updating values, quality, and timestamp details. It scales automatically as new sites are added and updates tag information when modifications are made to existing locations. This establishes a foundation for maintaining the source of truth on the factory floor, which is critical for ensuring data integrity.

With MQTT and Sparkplug, a hub-and-spoke network architecture is implemented, providing a highly secure, scalable, and self-learning foundation for enterprise data access using open, non-proprietary standards.

Enterprise Enablement

With OT data from multiple manufacturing sites delivered in a contextualized data standard within a UNS structure in Ignition, the necessary technologies are in place to enable enterprise applications to consume it. Inductive Automation's Ignition platform provides several methods for connecting to enterprise applications, ensuring seamless integration and data flow across the organization. Here are some key methods:

• OPC UA (Unified Architecture): Ignition supports OPC UA, a widely used standard for secure and reliable communication between devices and applications. This allows Ignition to connect to various enterprise systems, including ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems).
• SQL Databases: Ignition can connect to any SQL database, enabling data exchange between Ignition and enterprise applications. This integration allows for real-time data access and analysis, enhancing decision-making processes.
• APIs (Application Programming Interfaces): Ignition provides robust API support, allowing custom integrations with various enterprise applications. This flexibility enables organizations to tailor their solutions to specific needs and workflows.
• MQTT: Ignition supports MQTT, a lightweight messaging protocol ideal for IIoT applications. This allows for efficient and reliable data communication between Ignition and enterprise systems, even in low-bandwidth environments.
• Web Services: Ignition can interact with web services, enabling integration with cloud-based applications and services. This connectivity ensures that data can be accessed and shared across different platforms and locations.
• Custom Scripts and Modules: Ignition's flexible scripting engine and modular architecture allow for the development of custom integrations and solutions. This enables organizations to create tailored applications that meet their specific requirements.

By leveraging these integration methods, Ignition from Inductive Automation effectively connects to enterprise applications, providing a unified view of data and enhancing overall operational efficiency.

Conclusion

Implementing MQTT with Ignition in multi-site manufacturing environments requires careful planning and adherence to best practices to ensure seamless and reliable data communication. By focusing on data standardization and data connectivity, utilizing open standard technology with MQTT and Sparkplug, and integrating the Ignition platform from Inductive Automation that meets and exceeds enterprise-level requirements, manufacturers unlock the full potential of MQTT and transform their operations.