VM.PL
Full-stack development for Industry 4.0 solution
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Category:
Back-end solution, Front-end solution
Industry:
Industrial Engineering
City:
Laer, Germany
Model:
Team Outsourcing
Payment model:
Time & Materials
Duration:
2019 – currently

Challenge

Welotec is a company that specializes in cutting-edge solutions that revolutionize modern manufacturing, agriculture, and help build sustainable smart cities. We’ve worked on one of their fascinating ideas before, so we were very excited when they approached us with their new edge computing project. The idea was to create a device that works as a router and allows running applications from Docker containers at the same time. The goal was to enable remote controlling and assure the security of devices that are not connected that were not connected to the network or should be protected with an independent firewall. 

One of the key elements of the project was to develop a custom, Linux-based distribution for a widely utilized industrial computer, “Edge Gateway”. We were familiar with their challenges and systems, so they trusted us to deliver that element of the project.

Progress

When we received a call from Welotec, all of our embedded specialists were assigned to other projects. In such cases, we always look for help among our trusted partners and companies we’ve worked with before. In a matter of days, we’ve managed to gather a team with support from the IT Cluster – Theumatec Tech Group. Shortly after, we’ve organized a workshop meeting at Welotec’s headquarters in Laer. During the meeting, Welotec staff wanted to discuss the business side of the project and make sure that we have a sufficient team for the job in terms of skills and numbers. 
As you may have guessed, we wouldn’t write it if we didn’t pass the test
 
The first phase of the project was a Proof of Concept (PoC), which means we had to deliver an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) with only basic features and no visual interface. In September 2020, we finished the PoC stage, and we’ve started implementing more and more crucial features and elements of the system, such as:
 
  • System for configuration and management of industrial routers
  • WebGUI (Web Graphical Interface) based on LUCI (Lua Configuration Interface) with OpenWRT (Open Wireless Router) to integrate with Edge Gateway (EG) computers
  • User-friendly API to share GPIO (General-purpose input/output) Docker containers with EG
  • Remote management system for multiple EGs
  • Additional physical platforms

In such complex projects, being on the same page with all participants at all times is essential. Therefore, during the development, we’ve concluded a few more face-to-face workshops to discuss ongoing challenges and choose the most efficient solutions. 

Results

With the help of the system we’ve developed, Welotec gained a profitable new product in the edge computing category, which already seems to be a milestone in terms of the company’s business development. The device has an enormous range of possible applications for the IoT-fueled Industry 4.0 companies. It has already brought many new clients to Welotec, and there surely are more to come, especially since we’re just on the verge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In addition to that, the device is also a valuable data-gathering tool, which may open the opportunity for new analytics services later down the road. 

Thank you, Welotec, for the opportunity to work on this fascinating project, and we can’t wait to hear from you again!

From the customer

"I was impressed with the knowledge of VM.PL’s developers. They perfectly understood our goals and their suggestions were of great added value to us. They quickly understood the use of a complex application in specific cases."

Jos Zenner
CTO / Welotec GmbH

Technologies

Client

Welotec has been operating on the market for several decades. They are experts in industrial communication and automation. They specialise in three main sectors: Smart Energy, Smart City, Smart Industry. They develop products such as routers, antennas as well as telecommunication/technical systems and solutions for their clients

Customer website: https://www.welotec.com/

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Jakub Orczyk
Member of the Management Board/ Sales Director VM.PL
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Jakub Orczyk

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