Machine Connectivity

Machine Connectivity explained simply

Machine connectivity means your factory machines are networked with the digital world. Instead of running in isolation and autonomously, they now communicate with IT systems such as MES, ERP or cloud platforms – fully automatic and in real time. Machines send status updates, production data and alarm messages; ERPEnterprise Resource Planning - software for integrated management of all business processes and resources. or MESManufacturing Execution System - software for real-time control and monitoring of entire production. systems deliver control commands and order data back. This creates a productive link between physical operations and digital control – efficient, timely and smart.

Background information

Machine connectivity describes the technical networking of machines and equipment with higher-level systems such as MES, IIoT platforms or ERP. The central objective is bidirectional data exchange, enabling control, monitoring and automation. Standardised protocols such as OPC UA ensure vendor-independent communication, providing security, scalability and interoperability – key building blocks of intelligent, networked production.

Implementation remains challenging despite standards, as many machines lack modern interfaces or unified communication models. Initiatives such as VDMA, collaboration with the OPC Foundation, companion specifications such as OPC UAOPC Unified Architecture - platform-independent communication standard for secure and cross-manufacturer data exchange between industrial systems. for Machinery or EUROMAP 77, as well as protocols like MTConnect, promote standardisation and facilitate retrofit as well as system-independent networking.

Standardisation and interfaces

Standardisation in machine connectivity is based on established communication protocols:

OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is a vendor-independent, open and secure standard for industrial data communication – particularly suitable for use from the field level to the cloud. It supports modern requirements such as security, platform independence and flexible data models.
VDMA promotes the development of specific companion specifications. These include OPC UA for Machinery, jointly developed with the OPC Foundation, as well as UA4MT (OPC UA for Machine Tools) – a standardised interface for machine tools.
EUROMAP 77 is another companion specification for injection moulding machines, which uses OPC UA to communicate seamlessly with MES systems.
Additionally, there are other standards such as MTConnect, an open, XML-based protocol for representing process data from machine tools on the shopfloor – especially in the context of data-driven analysis – which is based on HTTP and REST concepts.

These standardisation initiatives enable scalable and sustainable machine connectivity through clear, reusable data models and interfaces.

Interaction with MES, SCADASupervisory Control and Data Acquisition - system for centralized monitoring and control of technical facilities with real-time data acquisition. and IIoTIIoT is the internet-based networking of industrial machines, systems, and devices for data collection and process optimization. platforms

Machine connectivity is only one part of industrial networking – the crucial factor is how it integrates into higher-level systems:

MES (Manufacturing Execution System) uses machine-provided real-time data to control production processes, monitor orders and ensure quality. Through OPC UA, the exchange between machines and MES takes place seamlessly.
SCADA systems also take over data from machines and visualise it for operators or remote control – machine connectivity supplies SCADA with process values via standard interfaces.
IIoT platforms collect machine real-time data via sensors or gateways and, beyond that, enable analysis, predictive maintenance or cloud-based applications. A harmonious connection with MES and SCADA ensures end-to-end transparency and efficiency at all levels.
The resulting architecture forms the automation pyramid: data flows from machines via SCADA/MES to ERP and IoT platforms – information thus becomes strategically usable for operational and tactical decisions.

Machine Connectivity