CNC Tool Life Monitoring Across Up to 65 Machines
How Schlote Group centrally collects SINUMERIK tool data from CNC machines and visualizes upcoming tool changes in real time.
Product update: edgeConnector 840D is now part of SDEX Suite
Schlote originally implemented this application with Softing's edgeConnector 840D. The SINUMERIK connectivity used in this project is now integrated into SDEX Suite, Softing's platform for secure and scalable data exchange between the shopfloor and IT. The project description below reflects the original implementation; comparable CNC connectivity is available today within SDEX Suite.
Schlote Group manufactures machined components for the automotive industry. Across nine facilities worldwide, the company operates an extensive machine pool for drilling, turning, milling, and other machining processes used to produce engine, transmission, and drivetrain components. The tool life monitoring application described here covers CNC machining centers at two Schlote sites in Germany — Harsum and Werk Brandenburg. At the Harsum site, steel machining places particularly high demands on cutting tools.
Individual tools may complete only a few thousand machining cycles before replacement. Across the site's machining centers, production employees change an average of two to three tools every minute. Replacing each tool at the right time is essential: changing it too late increases the risk of breakage and unplanned machine downtime, while changing it too early wastes usable tool life.
At a glance
- Industry: Automotive manufacturing / metal machining
- Customer: Schlote Group — Schlote GmbH & Co. KG (Harsum) and Schlote Brandenburg GmbH & Co. KG (Werk Brandenburg), Germany
- Application: Centralized CNC tool life monitoring
- Scale: Up to 65 CNC machines across two sites (approx. 40 in Harsum, approx. 25 in Werk Brandenburg)
- Controller: Siemens SINUMERIK 840D Solution Line
- Data source: NC and PLC data, including tool monitoring counters
- Communication: RFC1006 to the SINUMERIK controls; data made available via an integrated OPC UA server (MQTT also supported by the connectivity software)
- Visualization: Peakboard dashboards on production-area screens
- Deployment: Docker container on Schlote's Windows server infrastructure
- Softing solution: Originally edgeConnector 840D; functionality now part of SDEX Suite
The Challenge: Monitor Tool Life Across Multiple CNC Machines
The remaining tool life was already available in each machine's CNC control. Schlote needed to extract the relevant data from the NC and PLC areas of the SINUMERIK controls, structure it consistently, and transfer it to a central visualization system. The solution also had to fit the company's existing server environment and be manageable without extensive programming.
Machine-builder-specific monitoring tools could provide information for individual machines, but they did not give Schlote the cross-machine overview required for a heterogeneous machine pool. Production teams needed one clear display showing how many parts each tool could still process before replacement.
Schlote deployed Softing's edgeConnector 840D software module — now part of SDEX Suite — to extract process data from the different SINUMERIK Solution Line controllers across its machining centers.
One connectivity layer for a heterogeneous machine pool
The edgeConnector 840D software module reads NC and PLC data from every SINUMERIK 840D Solution Line control on the shop floor, regardless of machine builder.
No changes to running CNC programs
The connectivity software sits alongside the existing control system, so Schlote could add central data access without touching production-critical CNC programs.
Structured data through an open standard
Process values are organized into a clean data tree and made available via OPC UA. Thus, any OPC UA client — including the Peakboard visualization layer — can consume them.
Why SDEX Suite (formerly edgeConnector 840D)?
The SINUMERIK connectivity Schlote implemented as edgeConnector 840D is now part of SDEX Suite, Softing's platform for industrial data integration. SDEX Suite brings together the capabilities of several former Softing products — including edgeConnector, edgeGate, uaGate, edgeAggregator, and the Secure Integration Server — into a single, unified solution for connecting PLCs, CNC machines, and other shopfloor sources to MES, ERP, edge, and cloud systems. It is available as software for Windows or Linux/Docker environments, or as a dedicated hardware gateway, and supports open standards such as OPC UA and MQTT under one licensing model.
Centralized CNC machine data integration on Schlote's existing infrastructure
Schlote connected up to 65 CNC machining centers across its Harsum and Werk Brandenburg sites using Softing's edgeConnector 840D. The software retrieved process data by communicating with the SINUMERIK 840D Solution Line controls via RFC1006. This included the tool monitoring counter that indicates how many parts can still be produced before the next tool change. The values were organized into a structured process data tree for use by higher-level applications.
The connectivity software was deployed as a Docker container on Schlote's standard Windows server infrastructure using a Linux subsystem. A browser-based interface supported configuration, while communication with the machining centers ran through the company network. For SINUMERIK 840D Powerline controls without an Ethernet interface, Softing also offers an adapter for the serial control interface. This provides a path for connecting older machines in brownfield environments.
The selected CNC data was made available through the open OPC UA standard. Schlote configured the OPC UA server as a data source in Peakboard Designer, a low-code visualization environment. Tool-life and machine-status information are now displayed on large screens throughout the production areas and supplement conventional status lights with context on why attention is required and which tool is approaching its replacement point.
Implementation overview
- Up to 65 CNC machines connected with Siemens SINUMERIK 840D controls across two sites
- Access to NC and PLC data, including tool monitoring counters, via RFC1006
- Containerized Softing connectivity software on Windows server infrastructure
- Standardized data delivery through an integrated OPC UA server
- Peakboard Designer as the low-code visualization environment
- Production dashboards displayed on large screens in the machining areas
The Result: Timely Tool Changes and Scalable CNC Data Integration
Schlote established a centralized view of tool life and machine status across up to 65 CNC machines at its Harsum and Werk Brandenburg sites. Production employees can see which tools are approaching their replacement point and act before a breakage causes an unplanned stop. The dashboards also make machine conditions easier to interpret than traditional status lights alone.
The use of Docker, OPC UA, and a low-code visualization platform reduced integration complexity and created an architecture that can be extended to additional machines and sites. Schlote also highlighted the close collaboration between the teams: new requirements were addressed quickly, giving the project the character of a joint development effort.
- Centralized tool life visibility: Tool monitoring data from up to 65 CNC machining centers across two sites is consolidated for a cross-machine overview.
- Lower risk of unplanned downtime: Operators can identify upcoming tool changes early and replace worn tools before breakage interrupts production.
- Better use of production data: NC and PLC values are transformed into a structured data model that higher-level applications can consume.
- Clear information for operators: Peakboard dashboards show both machine status and the reason action is required, improving day-to-day usability.
- Open, flexible integration: OPC UA simplifies data exchange with the visualization layer; MQTT provides an additional option for local or cloud-based architectures.
- Scalable architecture: The containerized approach can be extended to further machines and locations, while SDEX Suite provides a path to broader OT/IT data integration.
The following questions address the most common technical and product-related aspects of this CNC connectivity case study.
How can manufacturers monitor tool life across multiple CNC machines?
Tool-life counters can be read from CNC controls, normalized by industrial connectivity software, and delivered to a central dashboard through OPC UA. In Schlote's application, Softing established Sinumerik 840D data integration by connecting up to 65 SINUMERIK 840D machining centers across two sites. The data was then supplied to Peakboard for cross-machine monitoring.
What data can be accessed from a SINUMERIK 840D control?
Depending on the configuration, connectivity software can access both NC and PLC data. For Schlote, the key value was the tool monitoring dashboard, which shows how many parts can still be processed before a tool must be changed.
Can SINUMERIK machine data be integrated without changing the CNC program?
Yes. A separate connectivity layer can retrieve selected control data and make it available to higher-level systems without modifying the running CNC program. Schlote used containerized software connected through the existing company network.
How does OPC UA support CNC tool monitoring?
OPC UA provides a standardized interface for transferring structured CNC data to visualization, MES, SCADA, analytics, or other applications. Schlote used the integrated OPC UA server to connect the machine-data layer with Peakboard dashboards.
Is edgeConnector 840D still a standalone Softing product?
No. edgeConnector 840D was the product used when the Schlote project was implemented. Its SINUMERIK connectivity is now integrated into SDEX Suite, Softing's platform for secure and scalable shopfloor data exchange.
What is SDEX Suite used for in CNC and machine connectivity?
SDEX Suite connects PLCs, CNC machines, and other industrial data sources with OT and IT applications. It supports standardized data exchange through interfaces such as OPC UA and MQTT and can be deployed as Windows software, Linux/Docker software, or a hardware gateway.