Ep. 205 - What Manufacturers Need to Know About UNS, MQTT, and Ignition After Prove It

Welcome back to a special Thursday edition of Manufacturing Hub!
In this episode, we dive deep into one of the standout presentations from the Prove It conference — featuring Travis Cox from Inductive Automation and Arlen Nipper from Cirrus Link Solutions.

🎥 We start by reflecting on the Prove It showcase, where Travis and Arlen demonstrated the power of Unified Namespace (UNS) and MQTT across every layer of the solution stack — from Edge devices, to the Ignition Gateway, to the Cloud.
➡️ Watch as we discuss their approach to scalability, ease of deployment, and why Ignition continues to lead the way in industrial digital infrastructure.

During the show, we cover:
✅ The real-world adoption of MQTT vs OPC UA in manufacturing environments, and why OPC UA is still dominant in many industries.
✅ Why naming conventions and early standardization are critical for successful UNS architectures.
✅ How to tackle data contextualization and overcome the "tech debt" so common in brownfield facilities.
✅ The importance of leadership-driven digital transformation and true IT/OT convergence.
✅ Why future-ready architectures require blending traditional technologies like OPC UA with MQTT and open standards.
✅ Insights into how small, medium, and enterprise manufacturers should approach digital transformation differently.

Travis shares incredible insights on:
🔹 The evolution of Ignition and its role as an IIoT platform
🔹 Why a common digital infrastructure is non-negotiable for scaling
🔹 How even small wins (like energy monitoring) can spark major cultural shifts in manufacturing organizations
🔹 The growing role of IT leaders in successful plant floor modernization efforts
🔹 How AI, ML, and advanced analytics will shape the future of real-time industrial operations

We also dive into broader industry trends seen at Prove It, including how other platforms like Frameworks (Tatsoft) and WinCC OA (Siemens) position themselves in the evolving digital manufacturing landscape.

Helpful Links: 🔗 Learn more about Inductive Automation: https://inductiveautomation.com
🔗 Manufacturing Hub Podcast Archives: https://manufacturinghub.live

Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro and Prove It Recap
5:30 - First impressions of the Inductive Automation session
11:50 - MQTT vs OPC UA in real-world manufacturing
18:10 - Challenges of UNS deployment and the importance of standards
28:40 - IT/OT convergence and building unified teams
38:20 - What sparks digital transformation success?
47:10 - How Ignition fits into modern industrial architectures
55:00 - Closing thoughts on Prove It and the future of manufacturing

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