Together, Belden and Tulip are helping life sciences and consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers accelerate the digitization of existing facilities by connecting legacy equipment to modern frontline operations applications without disrupting production.
Most legacy equipment was never designed to be connected, making it difficult to capture reliable, real-time data that underpins performance monitoring, quality control, process management, and traceability. As manufacturers attempt to digitize production lines, their modernization efforts remain fragmented and hampered by inconsistent data and partial visibility.
Overcoming these obstacles requires a different approach to how production data is collected and used. Belden’s secure, vendor-agnostic solution for operational technology (OT) data acquisition and contextualization at the edge enables customers to connect and structure data from thousands of sensors across a variety of industry protocols. Tulip’s Frontline Operations Platform then allows manufacturers to transform this production data into connected frontline artifacts that guide operators, digitize workflows, collect traceability records, and drive continuous improvement. Performance monitoring, quality optimization, autonomous process management, and compliance with tracking and traceability requirements are all brought together in a single frontline operations environment.
By unlocking production data trapped within equipment, operations teams can achieve measurable improvements in operational performance, visibility, and OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) in real time, within weeks. Managers achieve a rapid return on investment without large-scale overhauls, optimizing the performance of existing systems by extending equipment lifecycles and ensuring a return on investment.
So far, Belden and Tulip's initial CloudRail implementations have shown significant progress, including: "Whether it's a pharmaceutical line or a high-volume consumer goods operation, most modernization efforts in manufacturing struggle to integrate legacy equipment with digital applications in a fast, scalable, and practical way," says Randy Romanaux, director of technology partners at Belden. "By collaborating with Tulip, we're solving that problem: giving teams a holistic view of performance and empowering those closest to operations to solve problems based on accurate, real-time data, without the burden of complex integration."
“Manufacturers can’t afford any gaps between their machines, their people, and their processes,” says Dr. Roey Mechrez, director of collaborations at Tulip. “Belden’s CloudRail extracts valuable production data from existing equipment, while Tulip transforms that data into best-in-class connected applications that guide operators, collect traceability records, improve quality, and provide real-time visibility into operations. Together, we help manufacturers modernize without having to replace the systems they already rely on.”.
