BehrTech and MAJiK Systems Partner on IoT Connectivity for Industrial Brownfields

According to a recent release, BehrTech and MAJiK Systems have signed a strategic partnership to bring wireless connectivity to legacy Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC). Together with BehrTech’s MYTHINGS wireless connectivity platform and MAJiK’s PLC data monitoring and analytics software suite, the integrated PLC solution reportedly provides robust, long-range, and scalable connectivity for PLC data communications in remote and complex industrial environments.

“Together with MAJiK we are bridging the gap between information technology and operational technology across legacy systems and environments,” says Wolfgang Thieme, Chief Product Officer, BehrTech. “This PLC integration solution enables you to tap into valuable production data that was previously inaccessible in isolated, closed-loop systems.”

The MAJiK integration platform is designed to collect critical data points (i.e. PLC tags) from brownfield PLCs. Through a connection to the MAJiK platform, a MYTHINGS transceiver transfers this data to a remote base station. Data can then be relayed to an enterprise cloud platform or on-premise application system such as a Manufacturing Execution System or Enterprise Resource Planning solution for storage, analytics, and visualization. The solution does not require PLC reprogramming and supports multiple cross-vendor PLCs and physical interfaces, the companies said.

“Most legacy industrial assets, machines, and facilities are not designed to connect beyond campus networks. This creates huge data silos,” says Jared Evans, COO, MAJiK Systems. “Our PLC integration solution enables companies to transform their brownfield plants into digital factories without absorbing the costs and complexities of building an entirely new greenfield plant or reprogramming legacy PLCs.”

The partnership’s first deployment was at a remote mining site for a large Canadian gold and silver mining company. The company wanted visibility into its heap-leaching process, but, due to harsh environmental conditions, Ethernet cabling and legacy wireless solutions were not feasible. Using BehrTech and MAJiK’s PLC integration solution, the company reportedly was able to transmit PLC data from a previously isolated and disconnected lime silo around a 300ft heap leach to an administration building. The company can now monitor lime silo levels in real-time, providing the operational visibility needed to avoid expensive production delays and over-ordering, while improving worker productivity and safety.