Real Time Automation (RTA) CEO to Speak at Automate Chicago 2026

John Rinaldi Reveals the Missing Link to Scalable Industrial AI at the Automate Innovation Stage

PEWAUKEE, Wis., June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Real Time Automation (RTA) will exhibit at Automate 2026 in Booth 3723 from June 22-25 at McCormick Place in Chicago, and announces its CEO will cut through the AI hype to address the absolute chaos present on many plant floors—where 73% of manufacturers report that poor data quality prevents actionable insights, and 60% of collected OT data is never analyzed.

While Artificial Intelligence is heralded as the "brain" of the modern factory, most manufacturers are currently inheriting decades of implicit tag naming, inconsistent units, and undocumented context that cause AI models to drift or fail at scale.

To address this, recognized Operational Technology (OT) and cybersecurity expert John Rinaldi, CEO of Real Time Automation (RTA), will present "Beyond the Algorithm: Standardized Manufacturing Data Models as the Foundation for Scalable Industrial AI".

• WHAT: An expert session moving beyond AI buzzwords to address the fundamental missing link in smart manufacturing: standardized data models. Rinaldi will break down the bottleneck of raw, context-free PLC data and demonstrate how metadata, schemas, naming conventions, and standard APIs (OpenAPI/AsyncAPI) work together to eliminate ambiguity and accelerate time-to-insight. Attendees will receive 10 proven recommendations for designing, storing, and governing data models that support scalable AI strategies, deployable across lines, plants, and enterprises.
  
  
• WHO: John Rinaldi, CEO and Founder of Real Time Automation, an acclaimed speaker, recognized OT and cybersecurity expert, and the author of six industrial automation books covering Industrial Ethernet, OPC UA, Modbus, and EtherNet/IP.
  
  
• WHEN: Tuesday, June 23rd at 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM (CDT)
  
  
• WHERE: Automate Innovation Stage: Booth 19046

(Note: A live, no-sales-pitch demo of a modern factory floor historian handling real PLC data will be available at the Real Time Automation booth, Booth 3723, throughout the show).

• WHY ATTEND: Engineers no longer struggle to collect data; they struggle to make it useful. Rinaldi will explain the pitfalls of legacy historians (the "Jenga problem"), the subscription pricing trap, and why a modern historian is critical to driving results with AI. Media professionals, plant engineers, and system integrators will walk away with a clear path for transforming inconsistent operational data into structured, contextualized, AI-ready information.

About Real Time Automation (RTA)

Established in 1989, RTA specializes in simplifying complex factory floor integration by delivering reliable, easy-to-use connectivity solutions. Serving plant engineers and system integrators worldwide, RTA offers a comprehensive suite of gateways, software, and modern historian solutions that bridge the gap between legacy machinery and enterprise systems. With deep expertise in protocols such as Industrial Ethernet, OPC UA, Modbus, and EtherNet/IP, RTA empowers manufacturers to overcome data fragmentation, implement standardized data models, and build the contextualized, cybersecure foundations necessary for scalable Industrial AI. For more information, visit www.rtautomation.com

MEDIA CONTACT:

Valerie Harding
PR Specialist for RTA
Ripple Effect Communications
Tel: 617-536-8887
Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Real Time Automation