Abelara Ascent

About Abelara Ascent

Abelara Ascent - Long-form conversations about what it actually takes to modernize manufacturing. Abelara Ascent is where architecture meets execution. Interviews with the people building real systems. Panel discussions that go deeper than the keynote. And solo episodes that break down the frameworks, decisions, and trade-offs behind industrial digital transformation. Hosted by Zack Scriven, Director of Sales and Marketing at Abelara, with regular appearances from cofounders Dylan DuFresne, Chief Architect, and Glenn Gardner, President. If you are a manufacturing leader, plant manager, controls engineer, or solutions architect trying to figure out where to start, what to prioritize, and who to trust, this is the show. Published by Abelara. Event coverage powered by Abelara Live.

Publisher

Abelara

Category

business · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Apr 2026

Latest episode

1 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Jul 2026

   Scaling Industrial Automation: Replicating Production Failover

   In this episode of the Abelara Studio podcast, Dan, Dylan, and new Integration Engineer Jacob dig deep into the architectural realities of containerization. Starting with a simple task to map out Dan's containerized plant simulation environment ("OJ East"), Jacob documents his week-long journey migrating a stateful stack from standard Docker containers to a local Kubernetes cluster using the kind (Kubernetes in Docker) binary. We break down the practical day-to-day tradeoffs of working with Docker Compose versus local Kubernetes networks. You'll learn how to handle persistent local file storage binds, bypass port exposure conflicts using automated reverse proxies, and construct custom health endpoints using Ignition's Web Dev module. Stay tuned for a live, real-time demo where we simulate a master node failure and watch Kubernetes execute an instant, zero-downtime failover to the backup gateway. If you are a DevOps engineer, system integrator, or automation developer looking to bridge the gap between laptop environments and high-availability enterprise production servers, this video is for you.

2. 

   29 May 2026

   Simplify your enterprise architecture with Fuuz + Litmus

   Most manufacturers we talk to aren't asking for more software. They're asking for less. Forty applications. A dozen integrations holding it all together. We cover: The supply chain ↔ factory floor disconnect, and why the language of customer POs almost never lines up with the work orders that actually get run Why standard cost variances catch you at quarter close instead of when you can still do something about them What a C-suite KPI dashboard really looks like under the hood — and how many hours of manual reconciliation hide behind every "give me the top three reasons we missed." Craig Scott (CEO, Fuuz) on why this is an architecture problem, not a technology one — and what a shared operational model actually is Dylan DuFresne on Fuuz as "IT software that understands OT," Litmus's 250+ device drivers, and modeling data as close to the edge as possible Hussein (Litmus) on edge containerization, metadata at scale, and the UNS flexibility you need to actually move fast The security question — role-based access control, encrypted data, the Fuuz Gateway through the DMZ, and what "MCP-ready" actually means for OT data The brownfield reality — no rip-and-replace, just better connection into the SCADAs, historians, and OPC servers already in place Glenn's mic drop — if you built top-down from the C-suite, you'd build Fuuz. If you built bottom-up from the factory floor, you'd build Litmus. They're the two most important anchor points in the whole industrial software ecosystem. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro — the simplification thesis 00:51 Glenn's pain point #1 — supply chain ↔ factory floor disconnect 03:02 Pain point #2 — late awareness of cost variances 04:45 Context — why enterprises are cutting logos 05:48 Pain point #3 — C-suite KPIs vs. how they're really built 07:40 Cappy Hour reference (see the Prove It session) 09:22 The wish — one platform to solve all three 10:16 Craig Scott — it's an architecture problem, not a technology one 11:31 Excel is still the dominant MES 12:27 Shared operational model — red, blue, and purple data 14:09 Walker Reynolds, UNS, and an oil-and-gas project with 50+ software vendors 15:09 Death by a thousand cuts 16:08 Cost visibility isn't a reporting problem — it's a latency problem 17:36 Burying A-players in spreadsheets 18:45 Bridging C-suite KPIs to the plant floor 20:46 The operational model as DNA 22:35 Dylan — getting data from the edge, the right way 25:22 Litmus's 250+ drivers and edge data modeling 27:48 Kepware vs. Litmus — containerization at the enterprise 29:25 Edge modeling as the differentiator 30:48 PLC-level hygiene and OEM involvement 33:40 Patrick's question — security, RBAC, and the Fuuz Gateway 35:46 Litmus + Fuuz visualization — overlap and complement 38:36 Brownfield — Litmus and Fuuz alongside existing OPC, SCADA, historians 43:02 Why point-to-point solutions break at scale 44:38 Glenn's mic drop — top-down vs. bottom-up 46:15 The Lighthouse Partner — how to work with Abelara 47:19 Closing — we always start from a fresh sheet of paper \WORK WITH ABELARA — LIGHTHOUSE PARTNER PROGRAM Companies come to Abelara to architect agnostic solutions and skip past the trial-and-error. We're accepting a small number of Lighthouse Partners — a digital transformation workshop, architected solution, and hitting the ground running.

3. 

   29 May 2026

   Predictive Maintenance in Practice: From Prediction to Prevention

   The conversation begins with an introduction to predictive maintenance and the expert panel. Glenn Gardner discusses the evolution of predictive maintenance, highlighting the transformation of the industry over the past 20 years. He then delves into the concept of vibration as a predictive technology, providing a detailed explanation of its relevance and power. The discussion shifts to the role of CMMS in predictive maintenance, emphasizing the importance of both predictive technology and CMMS for an effective maintenance program. Mark Kingkade shares insights on vibration analysis in real systems, showcasing the practical application of vibration analysis in identifying machinery flaws. The conversation covered challenges in equipment repair, integration of machine data with maintenance workflows, data integration and predictive maintenance, and integrating advanced maintenance technologies. The challenges included difficulty in finding replacement parts, extended lead times for replacements, and the impact of supply chain challenges. The integration of machine data with maintenance workflows highlighted the direct integration of diagnostic insights with work orders, automated generation and assignment of work orders, and the importance of getting information to the right people. Data integration and predictive maintenance discussed the integration of machine data from various sources, usage-based predictive maintenance, and a phased approach to implementing predictive maintenance. Integrating advanced maintenance technologies addressed challenges in integrating different maintenance technologies, the importance of keeping analysis in purpose-built tools, and sending scalar data to centralized systems. Takeaways Predictive maintenance has evolved significantly over the past 20 years, with a notable reduction in cost and time for implementing a world-class program. Vibration analysis is a powerful technology for identifying machinery flaws, and when combined with CMMS, it forms an effective predictive maintenance program. Challenges in equipment repair due to supply chain issues Importance of direct integration of diagnostic insights with work orders Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Predictive Maintenance 11:46 CMMS and Predictive Maintenance 32:29 Challenges in Equipment Repair 47:24 Data Integration and Predictive Maintenance 58:02 Integrating Advanced Maintenance Technologies

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