Manufacturing software development
We build production, maintenance and quality systems for manufacturers. Writing the software is usually the easy bit. The real work is getting useful readings out of a press or a lathe that was installed years before anyone thought of connecting it to a network.
Software that gets data off old machines
Production, maintenance and quality systems for manufacturers, including older machines.
Systems we build
- Production dashboardsWhat each line is doing right now
- Maintenance schedulingPlanned by runtime, not the calendar
- Quality recordsChecks attached to each batch
- Machine data collectionReadings taken without disturbing the line
- Planning system linksTwo way links keep records matching
- TraceabilityTrace parts and batches to each item
- Reply within one business day
- Fixed estimate before work begins
Manufacturing software for the floor
Production dashboards
See what each line is running right now, how the last shift went and where the lost minutes went.
Maintenance scheduling
Maintenance planned on how hard a machine has actually worked and what condition it's in, with the parts and the engineer booked in advance.
Quality records
Operators record checks at the station. Each result is filed against its batch and you can still find it years later.
Machine data collection
We collect readings from controllers and sensors, older equipment included, while the line keeps running.
Planning system links
Links that bring orders and counts from your planning system and the floor into one place, so the office and the shop floor work from the same numbers.
Traceability
A record of which parts and batches went into each finished item, so you can act quickly if a recall ever comes.
Why factory data is hard to reach
Most factories we visit have plenty of data that nobody can easily see. Machine controllers hold the readings, the planning system holds the orders and quality checks sit in paper folders. Ask why line two ran slow last Thursday, and three people spend an afternoon finding out.
Factory networks are also kept apart from the internet on purpose, to protect the equipment. We respect that. Data crosses a controlled boundary in one direction, and we never ask you to open up the production network.
Standards the factory floor demands
- Batch and parts traceability. We keep a record of what went into each item for as long as the product is in use.
- Safety records. Checks and incidents are recorded with the detail a safety inspector expects to see.
- Customer quality standards. When your biggest customers audit you, the system produces the evidence in the format they ask for, without anyone piecing it together by hand.
- Network separation. Your production network stays apart from office and internet traffic, and where possible data flows out in one direction only.
- Calibration history. Each calibration is linked to the readings it affected, so if an instrument drifts you can see which results to check again.
Systems we usually connect to
We read from your ERP (enterprise resource planning, the system that runs orders, stock and purchasing), your machine controllers and your quality systems and leave them in place. If one of them works, removing it is a decision we'd make with you on purpose, and it shouldn't happen as a knock on effect of the project. Thinking about putting machine data to work? Read our guide to AI in business software.
How we roll out on the floor
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Walk the line
We start on the factory floor with your operators, who usually know exactly where the problems are.
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Prove one data path
We take one reading from one machine all the way to a dashboard. That tests the hardest part before you commit to more.
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Build the floor view
We design dashboards and data entry screens that work with gloved hands and in poor light.
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Extend line by line
Adding another line mostly means changing settings, so it doesn't turn into a new project each time.
These are the ranges we see most. Planned shutdowns decide when we can touch equipment, and the age of your machines decides how long connecting them takes. See our project stages and delivery approach for more.
What plant teams notice first
Stoppages understood
Every stoppage is logged with a reason, and after a few weeks the biggest causes stand out.
Maintenance before failure
Planning work on real running hours catches wear while it's still a small, cheap fix.
Traceability in minutes
If a customer asks which products used a faulty batch, you can answer with a search instead of a week in the archive.
Questions from plant managers
Usually, yes. Older equipment often gives away more than people expect through its controller, an existing output or a small gateway device. We connect one machine early, because if it's going to be difficult, we'd both rather know in week two.
No. We only read data, and our collection sits on the safe side of the network boundary. Nothing we build sends commands to a machine unless that's the stated goal and we've agreed it separately with you.
Rarely. Most planning systems are good at planning and weak at showing what's happening on the floor. We connect to yours and build the part it doesn't do.
Start with one machine and one reading
Tell us what you'd most like to know about your lines, and we'll test it on one machine.