What is machine data capture?
Machine data capture (MDC) is a central building block of operational data capture. It provides the technical data from industrial systems and machines needed to monitor and evaluate production and process workflows.
Data as the foundation.
Through the direct connection between software and machine, important information is available in real time.
This makes MDC the foundation for determining and visualising reliable key figures such as OEE, optimising manufacturing processes and reducing faults. Ideally, failures can be prevented entirely by monitoring critical parameters and predictive maintenance.
Two categories of data.
Production data
These include e.g. good quantities, scrap, material consumption as well as batch and serial numbers.
Process data
These include e.g. operating hours, speeds, energy consumption, pressures, temperatures as well as fault messages.
Combining and evaluating this data yields insights that help increase process stability, quality and efficiency. At the same time this information supports traceability and preventive maintenance.
Production planning also benefits: delays are identified early, and with targeted measures on-time completion and delivery can be ensured.
Connecting machines successfully.
Modern machines come with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) featuring connectivity modules that enable data transmission via protocols such as OPC UA or MQTT.
Besides technology standardisation, these protocols offer the advantage of proactively pushing state changes to all subscribed participants.
SMARTR.factorySMARTR.factoryWith an OPC UA connection the client (here the software) connects to the server (the machine), whereas the MQTT protocol uses a so-called broker as a shared endpoint. The machine therefore sends payload data and does not need to allow incoming network connections, a clear advantage from an IT/OT security perspective.
Older machines and controllers can often be read out as well – for example via open protocols such as Modbus TCP or manufacturer-specific interfaces such as Siemens S7 PUT/GET. This makes it possible to meaningfully integrate legacy machines into a modern MDC setup too.
Protect investments and retrofit legacy equipment.
Even when no connectivity is available out of the box, older machines can often be digitised with manageable effort.
So-called brownfield machines are machines built before the era of Industry 4.0 that are not, or only insufficiently, prepared for digitalisation. Yet they still do their job reliably and represent an investment worth protecting for companies.
There are two common ways to connect such machines: on one hand, electrical signals as well as analogue or digital sensors (e.g. photoelectric switches) can be picked up and provided through custom PLC programming. On the other hand, edge devices have become established as a practical solution in recent years.
As the name suggests, these devices sit at the interface between production (OT – operational technology) and IT. This concept not only supports security-relevant aspects such as strict network separation, but also offers user-side benefits – such as easy configuration of the signals to be connected and their provision via protocols such as OPC UA or MQTT.
Pros and cons of
machine data capture.
Advantages
- Consistent data quality without input errors
- Data available in real time
- Deep insights and detailed analyses
- No manual data-entry effort
- Relationships between networked machines become visible
- Foundation for applications such as OEE analysis, predictive maintenance and energy monitoring
Disadvantages
- Existing machines may need retrofitting
- Initial effort for connection and configuration
- IT/OT security must be considered from the start
- Data overload requires a clear KPI focus
The advantages of machine data capture usually clearly outweigh the challenges. What matters, however, is how the gained data is handled: only through expert interpretation and clear questions does data become real knowledge.
We make machine data tangible.
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