Question 1

What is a machine monitoring system?

Accepted Answer

A machine monitoring system captures real-time data from your production machines — run-time, downtime, cycle counts, fault codes, and operator inputs — and turns that data into actionable shop floor dashboards. The goal is simple: stop guessing why machines are idle and start fixing the actual causes of lost capacity. EDGEBI does this and ties the data back to your finite-capacity schedule so production planning reflects what is really happening on the floor.

Question 2

How is machine monitoring different from MES or SCADA?

Accepted Answer

MES manages the full work-order lifecycle on the shop floor (routing, labor, quality, dispatch). SCADA controls and monitors industrial processes at the PLC level. Machine monitoring sits between them: it focuses specifically on capturing utilization, downtime reasons, OEE, and production counts per machine, and it surfaces that data in dashboards aimed at supervisors, planners, and plant managers — not control engineers. EDGEBI is purpose-built for that supervisor and planner audience.

Question 3

Do we need to install hardware on every machine?

Accepted Answer

It depends. For modern CNC machines with MTConnect, OPC-UA, or Fanuc Focas APIs, EDGEBI reads data directly over the network — no extra hardware. For older equipment without digital outputs, lightweight IoT collectors (a small box that watches stack lights, run-time signals, or operator buttons) feed data into the same dashboards. Most shops use a mix of both depending on machine age.

Question 4

How is OEE calculated in EDGEBI?

Accepted Answer

OEE = Availability × Performance × Quality. EDGEBI captures availability from actual machine run-time vs. scheduled run-time, performance from cycle counts vs. ideal cycle time per part, and quality from good-part counts vs. total parts (either from operator entry or downstream inspection data). The result is a true OEE number per machine, per shift, per work order — not a self-reported guess.

Question 5

Does machine monitoring integrate with RMDB scheduling?

Accepted Answer

Yes — this is the core advantage. EDGEBI shares the same database as Resource Manager DB (RMDB), so live machine data flows directly into the finite-capacity schedule. When a machine goes down, the scheduler knows. When a job runs faster than standard, the scheduler knows. The result is a schedule that reflects shop floor reality instead of a planning fiction that breaks the moment production starts.

Question 6

How long does machine monitoring implementation take?

Accepted Answer

For shops with modern CNC controllers and a stable network, EDGEBI machine monitoring can be live in 1–2 weeks: install the data collectors or configure the MTConnect/OPC endpoints, build the dashboards, train supervisors. For shops mixing legacy and modern equipment, plan for 4–6 weeks because of the additional hardware install and signal mapping. We have been doing this since 1991, so the rollout playbook is well-rehearsed.

Question 7

How much does machine monitoring software cost?

Accepted Answer

EDGEBI starts at $49/user/month or as a one-time perpetual license with no per-machine fees — a critical difference from per-machine SaaS competitors that get expensive fast at 20+ machines. Implementation services are quoted separately based on machine count and hardware requirements. Most shops see ROI within 90 days from a single recovered shift of capacity.

Machine Monitoring Software for Real Manufacturers

Why Machine Monitoring Is the Hidden Capacity Lever

What EDGEBI Machine Monitoring Captures

Why Manufacturers Pick EDGEBI Over Pure-Play Monitoring Tools

How EDGEBI Machine Monitoring Works

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Capture

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