In this episode of the Smart Metals Podcast, hosts Luke van Enkhuizen and Denis Gontcharov explore the critical topic of data quality in metals manufacturing, with a strong focus on SCADA systems and modern cloud platforms like Databricks.

Denis kicks off with a big announcement: his business is now refocused on integrating legacy SCADA architectures with scalable cloud-native environments such as Azure Databricks. Together, Luke and Denis dive into the key challenges of aligning SCADA data with business use cases, the erosion of trust caused by bad data, and the urgent need for automated monitoring.

The discussion emphasizes how companies—from SMBs to enterprises—can implement robust data quality testing using open-source frameworks like Soda and Great Expectations. You’ll learn how to embed testing into ETL pipelines, use Databricks to store and analyze data reliably, and ensure high-quality inputs within a Unified Namespace (UNS).

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Smart Metals Podcast
00:44 Big Announcement: Refocusing Business Activities
01:12 Understanding SCADA and Data Quality Challenges
04:37 Importance of Data Quality in Manufacturing
07:22 Real-World Data Quality Issues and Consequences
11:04 Steps to Ensure High Data Quality
27:00 Open Source Solutions for Data Quality Testing

Notable Quotes:

1. “SCADA is essentially the second layer of the automation pyramid—supervisory control and data acquisition. It collects data from PLCs and individual machines. The challenge is moving this high-frequency, millisecond-level time series data to the cloud. Data quality is one of the key problems in this area.” – Denis Gontcharov
2. “My new focus is helping companies integrate legacy SCADA systems into modern platforms like Azure Databricks, where they can finally get control over their industrial data.” – Denis Gontcharov
3. “Almost any factory using modern machinery has multiple layers—sensors, PLCs, SCADA, MES, ERP, and eventually the cloud. Much of this may be hidden inside vendor-specific solutions, but understanding these layers is essential.” – Luke van Enkhuizen
4. “Bad data completely erodes trust. If your dashboard shows an off number and you can’t explain it, users stop trusting your data platform—no matter if it’s SCADA or Databricks behind the scenes.” – Denis Gontcharov
5. “You can’t manually verify data coming from hundreds of time series across SCADA systems. You need an automated application watching your data 24/7 and flagging anomalies before they affect operations.” – Denis Gontcharov
6. “Where should you do data quality checks? Ideally, inside your pipeline—after transformations—whether you’re using SCADA historians or sending data into Databricks. This prevents dirty data from entering your clean system.” – Denis Gontcharov
7. “ETL stands for extract, transform, load. As you bring SCADA data into Databricks or your UNS, every step must be monitored and tested.” – Denis Gontcharov
8. “Just like raw ore needs refining before it becomes usable gold, raw SCADA data must be cleaned, structured, and tested—often inside platforms like Databricks—to unlock its real business value.” – Luke van Enkhuizen

Relevant Links:

• 🔗 Follow the show: https://smartmetals.transistor.fm/
• 🔗 About Denis Gontcharov: https://gontcharov.eu/
• 🔗 About Luke van Enkhuizen: https://vanenkhuizen.com/

In this episode of the Smart Metals Podcast, Luke van Enkhuizen and Denis Goncharov dive into a real-world case study of deploying a Unified Namespace (UNS) at a welding shop in the Netherlands using the United Manufacturing Hub (UMH).

They discuss the challenges of integrating ERP and MES systems, why traditional point-to-point connections often fail, and how a UNS enables real-time visibility, data flexibility, and scalability.

🔹 What you’ll learn in this episode:
✅ Why a UNS was chosen over traditional integrations
✅ How the system was deployed in just one day
✅ The business benefits: real-time alerts, scalability & low cost
✅ How SMBs can leverage enterprise-grade software without major investment

🎧 Listen now and learn how to future-proof your digital transformation!

Timestamps:

00:00 – 🎙️ Welcome to the Smart Metals Podcast
00:50 – 🔍 Understanding the Client’s Needs
02:07 – 🏭 Why Choose a Unified Namespace?
05:43 – ⚙️ Implementing the United Manufacturing Hub
11:35 – 🔄 Deployment and Real-Time Success
20:47 – 🚧 Challenges and Lessons Learned
27:19 – 🌍 Future Prospects and Final Thoughts

Notable Quotes:

📢 "Why not just make a point-to-point connection between the ERP and the MES system? The answer lies in real-time visibility. We needed flexibility to change things over time, and the MES system was a closed, off-the-shelf solution. A Unified Namespace gave us the control we needed to integrate multiple systems seamlessly." – Luke van Enkhuizen

📢 "One of the key reasons we chose a Unified Namespace was future expandability. Today, we’re integrating ERP and MES, but tomorrow we may need to add SCADA systems, cloud data, or even CRM insights. With a UNS, we build an independent system that grows with the business." – Denis Goncharov

📢 "The biggest frustration with traditional point-to-point integrations is that they break. Data gets out of sync, connections fail, and you end up manually fixing errors. A UNS ensures that everything stays aligned in real-time without those fragile dependencies." – Luke van Enkhuizen

📢 "We managed to develop and deploy the entire solution in just one day. By following IT best practices and leveraging the United Manufacturing Hub, we had everything prepared before even stepping onto the factory floor. That level of efficiency is a game-changer." – Denis Goncharov

📢 "You don’t need to start with the perfect business case—just a direction. Once we implemented the UNS, the client immediately saw 10 more opportunities they could tackle. That’s the real power of having an open, scalable data infrastructure." – Luke van Enkhuizen

Links & Resources:

🔗 Follow the show: https://smartmetals.transistor.fm/
🔗 About Denis Goncharov: https://gontcharov.eu/
🔗 About Luke van Enkhuizen: https://vanenkhuizen.com/

Support the Podcast!

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Ready to Listen?

🎧 Press play and discover how a Unified Namespace can transform your factory floor! 🚀

In this episode of the Smart Metals Podcast Denis and I, dive into the topic of transferring shop floor data to the cloud and leveraging AI for predictive maintenance and other use-cases in the metals industry.

We discuss essential components like the Unified Namespace (UNS) and Data-Centric AI, highlighting why smaller manufacturers shouldn’t shy away from cloud technology.

We also break down common misconceptions about AI, particularly for SMBs, and explore the benefits of cloud services.

You’ll hear a step-by-step approach to implementing predictive maintenance and get practical advice on how to start using AI-driven insights—without excessive costs or complexity.

If you're a manufacturer looking to make data-driven decisions, optimize maintenance strategies, and leverage AI in a practical, actionable way, this episode is a must-listen.

Topics
00:00 – 🎙️ Welcome to the Smart Metals Podcast
00:23 – 🔍 Understanding Shop Floor Data and AI
02:29 – ⚙️ Preventive vs Predictive Maintenance
04:57 – 🔄 Steps to Implement Predictive Maintenance
08:10 – ☁️ Benefits of Cloud Solutions
09:46 – 📊 Data Management and Unified Namespace
28:57 – 🏭 Practical Advice for Manufacturers

Notable Quotes:

1. "We always break it down into having a solid data infrastructure and having a solid data strategy. And both of these concepts can be summarized with two words respectively: the Unified Namespace and Data-Centric AI." – Denis Gontcharov
2. "Very often, we talk about AI and especially cloud, and smaller manufacturers think, ‘Oh, that’s something for enterprises.’ The goal today is to dispel this myth and tell you that the cloud is far more accessible than you may imagine." – Denis Gontcharov
3. "Preventive maintenance is like going to the gym and eating healthy to avoid getting sick, while predictive maintenance is like wearing a smartwatch that warns you when you’re about to have a health issue." – Luke van Enkhuizen
4. "If we’re just copying our existing systems to the cloud, why would anyone use them there instead of on-premises? We have to provide them with something better—something with more context, better-organized data, and real insights." – Denis Gontcharov
5. "The cloud is not just a place to store data; it’s a new way of organizing infrastructure. If we’re just renting a big computer in the cloud and copying all our applications, we’re not using the cloud in the right way." – Denis Gontcharov
6. "Manufacturers shouldn’t fear the cloud—it’s not just for enterprises. Because of its pay-as-you-go structure, it’s surprisingly affordable and far more flexible than building your own data center." – Denis Gontcharov
7. "AI equals model plus data. The old way focused on tweaking the model, but today, improving the data itself—what we call Data-Centric AI—often leads to better results." – Denis Gontcharov
8. "If someone comes to your factory and says, ‘We have the perfect solution for you, and it costs six digits,’ you should probably walk the other way." – Luke van Enkhuizen

Relevant Links:
🔗 Follow the show: https://smartmetals.transistor.fm/
🔗 About Denis Gontcharov: https://gontcharov.eu/
🔗 About Luke van Enkhuizen: https://vanenkhuizen.com/

Sharing is caring!
If you liked this episode, please consider sharing it with some friends or colleagues who might find it useful. Thank you! 😊

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Did this show help you with new ideas for your business? Then rate the show on iTunes or Spotify. This helps people like you find the show and us to be able to book more guests with industry specialists and top solution providers. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐