Expert Tech Pilot expands manufacturing automation support in Northeast Ohio

Expert Tech Pilot is spotlighting LabVIEW-based manufacturing automation and systems integration work tied to a 2026 project with Zircoa in Solon, Ohio. The firm says the effort shows how regional manufacturers can connect shop-floor data, quality controls and enterprise systems without replacing core equipment.

Why it matters: - Northeast Ohio manufacturers are under pressure to improve production efficiency, quality control and visibility across shop-floor and business systems. - Expert Tech Pilot is positioning itself as a local engineering partner for companies that need automation support without a full equipment overhaul. - The firm’s approach links manufacturing data, quality data and enterprise data so teams can identify process variation and improve continuous improvement efforts.

What happened: - Expert Tech Pilot highlighted its manufacturing automation capabilities on Nov. 3, 2026. - The Northeast Ohio consulting firm pointed to a custom National Instruments LabVIEW project developed with Zircoa Inc., a Solon manufacturer of engineered zirconium oxide materials and advanced ceramics. - The project centered on batch moisture measurement and process monitoring for manufacturing quality control. - Expert Tech Pilot described the work as part of its broader industrial automation and Microsoft technology practice.

The details: - The Course Grain Batch Moisture Measurement application consolidates production information, equipment measurements and quality results into one interface. - Automated monitoring captures mixer temperatures, water addition, mixing duration and ambient conditions. - Batch traceability ties measurements to batch numbers, job information, material composition and operator identification. - Quality validation compares moisture measurements against configured minimum and maximum thresholds. - Process visualization shows mixer activity and operating conditions over time. - Quality reporting records pass/fail determinations and supporting comments for production review. - Expert Tech Pilot says the application shows how custom automation software can improve manufacturing visibility, measurement consistency and quality oversight without replacing existing production equipment. - The firm supports PLC connectivity between machine controllers, production applications and monitoring systems. - The firm also handles data acquisition from sensors, test instrumentation and production equipment. - SCADA integration includes environments such as Ignition for equipment status, alarms, temperatures and process trends. - LabVIEW development covers measurement automation, equipment interfaces, testing and quality evaluation. - Industrial process monitoring includes historical data collection, equipment measurements, automated reporting and operational analysis. - The firm says these services help manufacturers extend existing automation investments while improving access to operational information. - Expert Tech Pilot’s integration work spans ERP, MES, SCADA, PLC/DAQ and QMS environments. - ERP connections can cover production orders, purchasing, inventory, material requirements, scheduling and product costs. - MES connections can cover work orders, batch tracking, throughput, downtime and production traceability. - QMS connections can cover inspections, tolerances, nonconformances, calibration, corrective actions and quality records. - The firm uses custom .NET applications, SQL Server databases, APIs and industrial communication interfaces to connect systems not originally built to exchange data. - The company says this can consolidate machine data, production data, quality data and business data. - Microsoft Azure work includes cloud architecture, secure cloud integration, REST APIs, centralized dashboards, reporting, legacy modernization and data preparation for analytics and AI-assisted insights. - Solutions can run in customer-owned Azure environments so manufacturers keep control of their data and infrastructure.

Between the lines: - The announcement reflects a broader manufacturing software trend: firms want faster visibility into plant operations without ripping and replacing legacy systems. - Expert Tech Pilot is emphasizing practical modernization, which favors software extensions, data collection and system integration over new hardware purchases. - The Zircoa project gives the firm a concrete example to show how LabVIEW and industrial integration can support quality automation in a real production setting.

What's next: - Expert Tech Pilot is offering manufacturing automation services to companies in Cleveland, Akron, Solon, Macedonia and surrounding Northeast Ohio communities. - The firm is also promoting a free 40-minute technical working session for prospective customers. - Expert Tech Pilot will likely continue using Microsoft .NET, Azure and industrial automation projects to target manufacturers that need connected production and quality systems.

The bottom line: - Expert Tech Pilot is selling a modernization path for manufacturers that want better data, tighter quality control and stronger system integration without major equipment replacement.