Your shop floor, connected to every order.
Machines, tablets, scanners and label printers work on the same order. An edge gateway in your factory reads the machines and holds on to what it reads when the internet drops out.
Pull the plug. The data waits.
The edge gateway sits in your factory, next to the machines. It reads the counters and passes them on. If the internet drops, it keeps everything until the connection is back.
- 1 / 5Normally: everything flows
The gateway reads the machine counters every few seconds and passes them on at once. What it reads is in Frontlink within a second.
- 2 / 5The connection drops
A provider outage, a cable pulled out. Frontlink receives nothing, but the machines just keep running.
- 3 / 5The gateway holds on
The gateway keeps reading and holds on to every record, with the right time. The buffer grows until the connection is back.
- 4 / 5The connection is back
The gateway sends the buffer in one go, in the right order. The counters match again, down to the last record.
- 5 / 5Try it yourself
Switch the internet off and on again with the button in the diagram. Watch what the buffer does.
Normally: everything flows
The gateway reads the machine counters every few seconds and passes them on at once. What it reads is in Frontlink within a second.
Every device on the same order.
Frontlink works with the screens, scanners and printers you already have. Per line we agree what makes sense.
| Device | Connection |
|---|---|
| Filler 3Counts and stops | OPC UA |
| Tablet at the lineInstruction and checks | Browser |
| Hand scannerLots and locations | App |
| Label printerCarton and pallet labels | Network |
- Works with what you have
Frontlink runs in the browser, on tablets and on screens you already use. Hardware scanners and phone cameras both work.
- The warehouse keeps scanning
The warehouse app keeps its bookings when the network drops and sends them once it is back.
- Labels from the order
Carton and pallet labels come from the order and the lot, on your network label printers or through NiceLabel and Loftware.
- Scales and other devices
Which other devices we connect, we agree with you per line.
The edge gateway, in your factory.
Software on a small server or virtual machine in your own network. It sits next to the machines, not in the cloud.
| Machines read | 12 |
| Last reading | 2 s ago |
| In buffer | 0 |
| Connection | Outbound, encrypted |
| Updates | By Frontlink |
- Reads the machines
Counters, states, stops and process values, every few seconds, through standards such as OPC UA and MQTT.
- Holds on when the internet drops
The gateway keeps reading and stores what it reads. Once the connection is back, it sends everything on.
- Connects outward
The gateway makes the connection itself. Your IT team does not open a port to the internet.
- We install and maintain it
Our engineer sets it up with your IT team and keeps it up to date.
Which machines we read.
Machines and PLCs with a digital output, over the standard they already speak. Historians and databases inside your network go through the same gateway.
- OPC UACounts, states and process values from PLCs and machines.
- MQTTCounts, rate and downtime from machines and sensors.
- ModbusCounters and signals from PLCs and older machines.
- HistoriansAVEVA PI, InfluxDB, Ignition and others, linked to orders and batches.
- DatabasesSQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL and Oracle, read and written.
Every count with its order.
A count means little on its own. Frontlink links every signal to the order and the step running on that machine at that moment.
| Signal | Value |
|---|---|
| CountStep: filling | +240 caps |
| StopReason: changeover | 12 min |
| Fill weightInto the batch record | 251.2 g |
- On the running order
Output and stops land on the order and the step, so the plan shows what is really done.
- Every stop gets a reason
The operator adds the reason on the tablet. Frontlink turns it into downtime per cause.
- Process values in the record
Weights, temperatures and times go into the batch record, next to the checks.
Frequently asked questions.
Which machines can be connected?
Machines and PLCs with a digital output, for example through OPC UA, MQTT or Modbus, or with a counter signal the gateway can read. We look at which machines make sense per factory with you.
What happens when the internet drops out?
The gateway keeps reading and stores the data in the factory. The warehouse app keeps its bookings. Once the connection is back, everything is sent on.
What does our IT team need to do?
Provide a small server or virtual machine in the factory network and access to the machines. The gateway connects outward, so no port has to be opened to the internet.
Who maintains the gateway?
We do. Our engineer installs it and keeps it up to date. It is part of the monthly fee.
Do we have to start with machine connections?
No. Many companies start with operators recording on the tablet and connect machines later.
Which process takes you the most time?
Book a 30-minute call. We look at your own examples together.
Book a call