IoT for machine builders: remote telemetry and remote assistance across your installed base
For companies that build automatic machines, packaging lines or custom plants, the machine goes dark the moment it leaves the factory. The data stays inside the PLC on the customer's shop floor, failures surface only once the line has already stopped, and every diagnosis turns into a site visit. IoT for machine builders closes that gap: the machine stays connected, and the builder keeps seeing it, even from thousands of kilometres away.
Codebaker does not build machines. We build the software and IoT layer for the companies that do. Since 2019 we have worked out of Bologna, inside Emilia-Romagna's automation and packaging district, with an in-house team that owns the project end to end, from the PLC connection to the dashboard. The source code belongs to the customer, with no vendor lock-in on third-party platforms.
Remote machine telemetry: from the PLC to the builder's dashboard
The starting point is connecting machines that are already in the field, without redesigning them. We tap into the existing PLC using standard industrial protocols (OPC-UA, Modbus, Profinet) and, where the PLC does not expose the values you need, we add IP65 industrial sensors for temperature, humidity and shock. An industrial edge gateway collects data on site and pushes it to the cloud platform with offline buffering: if the customer's network drops, nothing is lost and everything is synchronised on reconnection.
- Connection to the existing PLC over OPC-UA, Modbus and Profinet, leaving on-board automation untouched.
- IP65 industrial sensors (temperature, humidity, shock) where process data is not already available on the PLC.
- Industrial edge gateways with offline buffering, built for unstable or segregated plant networks.
- Real-time custom dashboards by role: service, R&D, management, plus a restricted view for the end customer.
Remote machine assistance and predictive maintenance
Once machines are connected, your service team stops working blind. The engineer opens the machine record and sees alarms, cycles, parameters and history before even picking up the phone, and in many cases resolves the issue without travelling. On top of the telemetry we apply AI and machine learning models for predictive maintenance, so anomalies are caught while they are still drift, not failure. Across the industrial IoT projects we deliver, this approach cuts unplanned machine downtime by up to 40% and reduces production scrap by 20%.
- Remote diagnosis with alarms, cycle history and process parameters before any on-site intervention.
- Predictive maintenance driven by AI and machine learning on real data from the installed fleet.
- Automatic notifications on critical thresholds, routed to the builder's service team and to the customer.
- Up to 40% less unplanned machine downtime and 20% less production scrap.
Servitization: from selling machines to selling recurring services
A connected fleet is also a revenue base. Operating data lets you build maintenance contracts priced on actual usage, subscription remote-assistance packages, and continuous monitoring services for the end customer, who gets a dedicated dashboard for their own machine. We design these IoT solutions as multi-tenant platforms: every installation stays isolated, while the builder keeps a single view across the whole fleet.
- Maintenance and assistance subscriptions priced on real machine usage data.
- A dedicated end-customer portal showing their own machine and their own KPIs.
- End-to-end traceability and cold chain monitoring for builders serving food & beverage.
Frequently asked questions
Can machines already installed at a customer site be connected?
Yes. In most cases we connect to the PLC that is already on the machine via OPC-UA, Modbus or Profinet and add an industrial edge gateway, without redesigning the on-board automation. Where the PLC does not expose the values you need, IP65 industrial sensors are added.
What happens if the network at the customer's plant is unreliable?
The industrial edge gateways we use buffer data offline: they keep collecting readings without connectivity and synchronise with the cloud as soon as the network returns. Telemetry has no gaps and dashboards stay consistent.
Does the machine builder own the IoT platform?
Yes. The source code belongs to the customer, with no vendor lock-in, so the builder can keep evolving the platform with its own team or another supplier. Codebaker develops with an in-house end-to-end team, from field connectivity through to the dashboard.
This page is part of our IoT solutions for business hub. Tell us about your plant and we will look at it together.
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