Machine Tool Monitoring: Choosing MTConnect or umati, RFP and FAT/SAT for Thai Plants

When a Japanese-affiliated machining plant in Thailand sets out to introduce machine tool monitoring, the first question that usually comes up is “MTConnect or umati?” On a shop floor where dozens of CNC machines from different builders and different years stand side by side, however, framing the problem that way is a detour. A new machine can expose a lot of information through a standard interface, while a 15-year-old machine may offer little more than the color of its signal tower. The depth of signal you can get differs from machine to machine. That is the starting point.

This article makes one argument. Machine tool monitoring is not a question of “which standard to choose.” It is a design problem: first agree, as a plant, on one definition of states (what counts as “running”), and then assign a data acquisition method to each machine individually. Standards are a means to an end. What acceptance testing needs to confirm is whether “the states you defined are recorded with the same meaning on every machine.”

Below, so that production engineering managers, maintenance managers and plant managers can assemble the material they need for internal decisions, we walk through state definitions, MTConnect, umati (OPC UA for Machine Tools), proprietary interfaces from control builders, retrofit signals, network and security, how to think about cost, RFP items, FAT/SAT checks, and issues specific to Thailand. Note that the machine counts, hours, amounts and payback periods for the model plant in this article are all provisional numbers set up for this article only. They are not industry averages, survey results or manufacturer prices.

Why Machine Tool Monitoring Is on the Agenda for Thai Plants Now

In the second half of 2026, the numbers surrounding machining plants in Thailand point in different directions.

Start with production. According to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), Thailand’s automobile (four-wheel) production in August 2026 was 124,646 units, up 10.9% year on year. The reasons cited were passenger BEV production up more than 77% year on year and export pickups up more than 18%. In the same month, domestic sales rose 25.59% and exports fell 2.04%. For motorcycles, which are covered by separate statistics, FTI reported August 2026 production of 194,642 units (up 6.9% year on year) and a cumulative total of 1,658,772 units for January to August.

On the other hand, FTI revised its full-year 2026 forecast for four-wheel production downward, from the earlier 3% increase to a 3.33% decrease year on year. The reason given is lower exports due to the situation in the Middle East. This is a forecast, not a final figure. A single month may grow while the full year remains hard to read. For plants machining auto parts and dies, the question is how efficiently they can run a limited number of machines as orders rise and fall.

Next, investment. Under the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) “Measures for upgrading to smart and sustainable industry” (introduced in 2023), there were 1,397 applications worth more than 146 billion baht from 2023 through the first half of 2026. This is the total for all nationalities and all industries. For Japanese companies alone, applications over the same period are reported at more than 400 projects and more than 55 billion baht.

The same report also cites a survey of Japanese companies in Thailand (conducted in the first half of 2026, 504 respondents, of which 432 answered about their 2026 investment plans). Among them, 59% (256 companies) planned to replace existing machines with new equipment, 31% (132 companies) planned to improve production efficiency, and 22% (96 companies) planned DX investment. The base for these percentages is 432 companies. The article does not state which organization conducted the survey.

Many plants are planning replacements or efficiency improvements. But unless you can correctly measure how much your current machines actually run before renewing them, you cannot decide which machines to replace or where to intervene. Utilization figures from daily reports or visual checks differ from person to person in their granularity and in how stop reasons are written. Machine utilization visibility is also the work of putting investment decisions on a common footing. How to think about measuring OEE itself is covered in detail in “OEE Improvement 2026 | Why Fixing Measurement Comes Before Fixing the Line“.

What Is Machine Tool Monitoring? What You Need to Capture to Know a Machine Is “Running”

The first decision is the state definition

Before choosing a machine tool monitoring system, decide as a plant “which state is called what.” A common breakdown uses the following five states.

The important point is that the right-hand column may differ from machine to machine. One machine judges “Running” from its execution state and mode, while an older machine judges it from the green lamp on its signal tower. Even if the signals differ, as long as “Running” in the left-hand column means the same thing, you can add up and compare utilization across the whole plant. Conversely, even if you standardize on a single protocol, the meaning of the numbers will drift between machines unless you decide “does feed hold count as running?” and “what is the time spent opening the door and removing a part after the program ends?”

State vocabulary in the standards

The MTConnect Streams schema (v2.7) defines data items that represent states and the values they can take. For example, Execution (execution state) has READY, ACTIVE, INTERRUPTED, FEED_HOLD, STOPPED, OPTIONAL_STOP, PROGRAM_STOPPED, PROGRAM_COMPLETED, WAIT, PROGRAM_OPTIONAL_STOP and UNAVAILABLE. ControllerMode (control mode) includes AUTOMATIC, MANUAL, MANUAL_DATA_INPUT, SEMI_AUTOMATIC and EDIT; Availability is AVAILABLE or UNAVAILABLE; and EmergencyStop is ARMED, TRIGGERED or UNAVAILABLE. The schema also defines elements such as PartCount, Program, Block, Line, PathFeedrate, SpindleSpeed and RotaryVelocity.

This vocabulary is a convenient template when you write your own state definitions. For example, if you write “Running” as “Execution is ACTIVE and ControllerMode is AUTOMATIC,” the judgment rule is settled as-is for MTConnect-capable machines. umati (OPC UA for Machine Tools) also provides types for a machine’s operation mode and job status, as discussed later. The first practical step is a table that maps the vocabulary of each standard to your own five states.

Refer to standards for KPI definitions, but write your own

For definitions of utilization and OEE, there is ISO 22400-2:2014 (Key performance indicators for manufacturing operations management, Part 2: Definitions and descriptions). It defines KPIs in terms of formulas, elements, time handling, units and so on, and an amendment (Amd 1:2017) was issued in 2017. However, this standard is under revision. As of September 17, 2024, the revised ISO/DIS 22400-2 was at stage 40.99 and is planned to replace the 2014 edition and its amendment. We have not been able to confirm publication of a 2025 or 2026 edition.

If an RFP or internal rule simply says “utilization follows ISO 22400-2,” the edition and which elements are measured by which signals become ambiguous. It is safer to keep the standard as a reference and write your own definition as a formula that states “the time spent in which states is divided by which time.”

Figure: The five states the plant aligns on (Running, Stopped, Setup, Alarm, Planned stop) and example transitions between them. The signals used for the judgment may differ by machine, but the meaning of each state must be the same on every machine.

What Is MTConnect? How It Works and Key Points for MTConnect Implementation

The standard version and the software version are different things

MTConnect is a standard for reading data from manufacturing equipment such as machine tools using a common vocabulary. MTConnect® is a registered trademark of AMT (The Association For Manufacturing Technology) in the United States.

The latest version of the standard (information model) is listed in the releases on the official MTConnect GitHub as “Version 2.7 (February 2026),” with an adoption date of February 16, 2026. The previous version was Version 2.6 (September 2025, adopted September 1, 2025). From v2.0 onward, the model written in SysML is the normative information model, and the documents are generated from it.

Be aware that the version of the standard and the version of the reference implementation software follow different numbers. The latest release of the C++ agent (cppagent) published by the MTConnect Institute is v2.8.0.3 (released September 25, 2026). It includes a fix for a data transformation bug in Ruby, refactoring of large modules, and a fix for a stack issue when handling long URLs on Alpine Linux. The previous v2.8.0.1 (September 3, 2026) fixed resource leaks, added monitoring of file descriptors and memory, and made creation timestamps accurate to the microsecond. These are software versions. If a proposal says “supports MTConnect 2.8,” check whether it refers to the standard version or the agent version.

The version we can confirm as an ANSI standard is v1.4.0 (ANSI/MTC1.4-2018). We have not been able to confirm the ANSI approval status of v2.x, so if a proposal describes v2.x as an ANSI standard, it is worth asking for the basis.

How it works: adapters and agents

According to the cppagent README, the architecture is as follows.

• Input: The agent supports multiple input methods such as SHDR, JSON and MQTT. The basic approach is SHDR adapters for CNCs and MQTT for IoT sensors and similar devices
• SHDR: A text-based protocol specific to MTConnect that streams timestamped key-value pairs over plain TCP. The README describes it as the most common input for CNC adapters
• Output: Over REST HTTP it returns /probe (machine configuration), /current (current values), /sample (history) and /assets (asset information such as tools). Output over MQTT is also possible
• Transport: HTTP, WebSockets, TLS and MQTT are listed

In other words, it is a two-stage setup: each machine needs an “adapter that converts the CNC’s internal data into SHDR,” the agent sits beyond that, and higher-level systems read from the agent. The agent (cppagent) itself is open source under the Apache License 2.0, so there is no license fee for the agent. However, adapters from each CNC builder and options on the control side are a separate matter, and the conditions need to be checked for each model.

Read-only by design

The cppagent README states clearly that the agent is a one-way, read-only information model and does not send commands back to the machine. For monitoring purposes, this property itself makes the design err on the side of safety, because you can build a configuration that has no path for the monitoring system to write to the control from the start.

Bridging to OPC UA

MTConnect and OPC UA are not opposed to each other. The OPC Foundation has a companion specification, OPC 30070-1 “MTConnect Devices,” that represents the MTConnect device model in OPC UA. V2.00 (January 15, 2019) and V2.00.1 (June 25, 2020) have been released (registration is required to view them).

What to check first in an MTConnect implementation

• For each machine (control), whether an MTConnect adapter is provided by the builder or must be prepared separately
• Whether a PC or gateway is needed on the machine side to run the adapter
• Whether the data items your state definition needs (Execution, ControllerMode, PartCount, alarms, etc.) are actually output by that machine
• Where the agent will be placed and who will manage its version

What Is umati (OPC UA for Machine Tools)? How It Differs from MTConnect

Name and scope of the specification

At the core of what is called umati OPC UA for Machine Tools is the OPC Foundation specification OPC 40501-1 “OPC UA for Machine Tools – Part 1: Machine Monitoring and Job Management.” In the OPC Foundation reference, the current version is Release 1.02.0 (November 1, 2024), and as of October 9, 2026, no version 1.03 or later is listed.

The scope of the specification is “to define an OPC UA information model representing machine tools,” and its purpose is described as making it easy to integrate machine tools from different manufacturers and of different technologies into MES, SCADA, ERP and analytics systems. OPC 40501-1 is built on top of OPC 40001-1 (OPC UA for Machinery).

The specification was created by the OPC Foundation and VDW (the German Machine Tool Builders’ Association). The specification states that VDW represents about 290 German machine tool companies.

The umati initiative

On VDW’s official page, umati (universal machine technology interface) is defined as “a global initiative for open communication interfaces for the machine building industry and its customers.” The same page says about 25 companion specifications have been published and 30 more are under development. These figures are the number of OPC UA companion specifications for the machinery industry as a whole, not only for machine tools. umati is an initiative launched in 2017 under VDW’s leadership.

What the specification covers

Picking out the parts of the OPC 40501-1 v1.02 table of contents most relevant to monitoring:

• Use cases: identifying machines from different manufacturers, an overview of whether production is running, parts in a job, job runtime, machine status, upcoming manual activities, errors and warnings, providing data for KPI calculation (5.8), an overview of tool data, and more
• Monitoring: monitoring of channels and spindles, a state machine representing the machine’s operation mode (MachineOperationModeStateMachineType), and more
• Production: types for job lists, jobs, programs, parts, production statistics and more
• Terminology: stacklight, alert, channel, job, program and more

The fact that providing data for KPI calculation is explicitly listed as a use case is a clear signpost for plants that aim for utilization visibility. However, as with MTConnect, the plant still needs to decide the KPI formulas itself.

How it differs from MTConnect

The choice is not about which is superior, but about which one your machines can output and which one your higher-level systems can more easily receive.

Builder announcements and trade shows

Mitsubishi Electric’s European subsidiary took part in a joint umati live demo with more than 50 machine tool builders at EMO 2019 (Hanover) in September 2019 and announced its support for umati. This was an announcement by the European subsidiary as of 2019. Check with the manufacturer which models and option conditions allow the umati server function on current M800 and M80 controls.

In addition, the 33rd Japan International Machine Tool Fair (JIMTOF 2026) is planned to run for 6 days from Monday, October 26 to Saturday, October 31, 2026 at Tokyo Big Sight (organizers: Japan Machine Tool Builders’ Association and Tokyo Big Sight). Since machine tool builders gather there, it can be used as an opportunity to ask each company directly about questions that came up in your inventory. However, this article has not confirmed which companies will exhibit which connection methods.

Proprietary Control Interfaces and Retrofit Sensors (Handling Older Machines)

For machines that do not support standard protocols, or where standard protocols do not provide enough of the information you want, use a proprietary interface from the control builder or a retrofit signal. The following covers what we could confirm in each company’s official materials.

FANUC

• FOCAS2 Library: A library for developing Windows applications that communicate with FANUC CNCs over Ethernet or HSSB. According to the manufacturer, it can read and write axis and spindle data, tool life management, CNC files, servo and spindle data, diagnostics, alarms, operator messages and more. No price is listed
• Network functions: The company’s new product page states that FANUC Series 30i/31i/32i-MODEL B Plus come with FOCAS/Ethernet, FL-net, EtherNet/IP and PROFINET network functions as standard. This statement is about the 30i/31i/32i-B Plus. Whether the same conditions apply to other or older models needs to be checked model by model
• FANUC MTConnect Server: Software that converts CNC data into MTConnect XML, bundled with the FANUC MTConnect Adapter and a standard MTConnect agent. Supported CNCs are listed as Series 30i/31i/32i-MODEL A and MODEL B, 0i-MODEL D and 0i-MODEL F. A PC (industrial, embedded or standard PC running Windows 7 or 10) is required on the machine side. No price is listed, and there is an application form for a free trial
• MT-LINKi: Monitoring software for plants. The manufacturer says it can monitor and manage from 1 to 2,000 machines (manufacturer’s stated figure). It collects data via PC and Ethernet, and in addition to FANUC CNCs it is described as connecting to robots, PLCs and more using the OPC UA server protocol, with some older FANUC CNCs connectable via an Ethernet converter. Viewing is via web or tablet. No price is listed

The fact that FOCAS2 can “read and write” is taken up again in the security section.

Okuma

Okuma has announced “Okuma Connect Plan,” which it says displays machine status, maintenance status, machining program history, operation history and alarm history as graphs in a web browser. According to the press release summary, it supports not only OSP suite machines but also FANUC machines and MTConnect-capable machines. For older machines, the product names “OKUMA NETBOX suite-C” (simple acquisition of operating status), “suite-P” (for other companies’ protocols that are not otherwise supported) and “suite-S” (firewall and prevention of unauthorized connections) are mentioned. Check details such as supported model conditions with the manufacturer. Prices are not published.

HEIDENHAIN

According to the company’s brochure (09/2022 edition), HEIDENHAIN’s “OPC UA NC Server” supports the TNC7 (NC software 81762x-16 or later), TNC 640 (34059x-10 or later) and TNC 620 (81760x-08 or later). Software options 56 to 61 each support the connection of one application, allowing up to 6 OPC UA applications to be connected in total. If you have an OPC UA-capable application and a machine connected to the network, a 90-day trial can be used once.

On security, the Security Mode is SignAndEncrypt, the Security Policy is Basic256Sha256, user authentication uses X.509 v3 certificates, and certificate-based connections are set up with the HEIDENHAIN Connection Assistant. The manufacturer states that its authentication, authorization and encryption conform to the recommendations of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) (vendor claim). Functions listed include notification of events such as program end or interruption, maintenance and fault messages, and custom messages from NC programs, as well as NC program transfer and tool data transfer. The brochure also says OPC UA can be converted to MQTT or REST via a gateway. As this is the content of a 2022 brochure, check whether conditions have changed in the latest version.

Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, Mazak and DMG MORI

For these manufacturers’ controls and machines, we could not confirm the conditions for OPC UA, MTConnect or umati support in the body of official materials during this research. Since conditions may vary with the model, software version and required options, we recommend confirming in writing with the machine builder and the control builder at the inventory stage.

Retrofit signals

For older machines whose data cannot be extracted from the control, or where adding options is not worth the cost, take signals from outside the machine. The three typical options are:

• Signal tower signals: Tap the red, yellow and green lamps of the stacked signal tower and infer the state
• Current signals: Measure the current of the spindle motor or the whole machine with a current sensor and separate running from stopped with a threshold
• Contact signals: Tap contacts for cycle start, door open/close or part counting

Retrofit signals can be fitted to machines from any builder, but the information you get is shallower. You will not know the program number or the content of an alarm, and in some cases you can only tell that “it seems to be machining.” Even so, as long as “Running” and “Stopped” in your state definition can be judged with the same meaning, the machine can be included in the plant-wide utilization calculation. Stop reasons are supplemented by operator input. How to set current thresholds and run acceptance tests is covered in detail in “Current Sensor Machine Monitoring: Thresholds, RFP and FAT/SAT in Thailand“.

Comparing the Four Machine Tool Monitoring Methods and Assigning Them Machine by Machine

Comparison table

Steps to assign a method to each machine

1. Build the inventory table: For each machine, list the machine builder, model, control builder and model, year, software version, options, whether it has an Ethernet port, and location
2. Decide the minimum signals your state definition needs: Decide the minimum signals needed to judge the five states (e.g. execution state and mode, or signal tower color)
3. Write down the methods available on each machine: Record which of MTConnect, umati, proprietary API or retrofit signals can be used on that machine, together with the builders’ answers
4. Choose the shallowest method that is sufficient: A method that yields deep information may or may not be the best fit. If it is enough for your state definition, choose the method with a simple configuration that is easy to maintain. Choose a deeper method only for machines where you also want tool life or alarm content
5. Limit the number of methods: The more methods you have, the heavier the burden on maintenance staff. Adjust so the whole plant fits within 2 to 3 methods

When combining several methods on one screen, a common configuration places a gateway in between to convert everything into a common form such as MQTT or OPC UA. For gateway selection and acceptance testing, see “Industrial Protocol Gateway Selection: RFP, FAT and SAT for Thai Factories“.

Figure: Example acquisition architecture for the four methods. MTConnect (adapter and agent), umati (OPC UA server), the control builder’s proprietary API (collection software) and retrofit signals (sensors and input units) are brought into a common form by a gateway inside the OT network and passed to higher-level systems beyond the firewall.

Network Design and Security for CNC Data Collection

Keeping the monitoring connection from becoming an entry point for attacks

When you connect machines to a network for CNC data collection, you create a path from outside to controls that were previously isolated. In fact, CISA in the United States has issued multiple advisories concerning machine tool controls.

• ICSA-26-078-05 (Mitsubishi Electric CNC Series, Update A): CVE-2025-2399, CVSS v3 base score 5.9. If exploited, a remote attacker may cause an out-of-bounds read, which may lead to denial of service (DoS). Affected products include M800VW, M800VS, M80V, M80VW (BB and earlier), M800W, M800S, M80, M80W, E80 (FM and earlier), C80 (all versions), M750VW, M730VW, M720VW, M750VS, M730VS, M720VS, M70V and E70 (LJ and earlier). Mitsubishi Electric’s advisory was first issued on March 10, 2026, CISA republished it on March 19, 2026, and Update A was released on August 27, 2026. Mitigations are using a firewall or VPN, using the equipment within a LAN and blocking access from untrusted networks, IP filtering, and updating to fixed versions (BC or later for M800VW, M800VS, M80V and M80VW; FN or later for M800, M80 and E80; LK or later for M700V, M70V and E70)
• ICSA-23-208-03 (Mitsubishi Electric CNC Series, Update E): CVE-2023-3346, a classic buffer overflow with a CVSS v3 base score of 9.8. Specially crafted packets may cause DoS or execution of malicious code. The initial release was July 27, 2023, and Update E was January 30, 2024. The advisory lists Mitsubishi Electric’s mitigations as using a firewall or VPN, antivirus protection on connected PCs, using the equipment within a LAN and blocking access from untrusted networks, and restricting physical access, and CISA recommends making control system devices unreachable from the internet

Check the exact affected models and software versions in the original text of each advisory. The point here is not that a particular manufacturer is dangerous, but that once you connect controls to a network for monitoring, the design has to assume advisories like these exist.

Design principles

• Separate the OT network: Place a firewall between the OT network that holds the machine tools and collection devices and the office LAN, and approve a list (rule table) of the traffic allowed through
• Make read-only the default: For monitoring, the principle is to have no path for writing to the control. The MTConnect agent is designed to be read-only. On the other hand, some APIs such as FOCAS2 can read and write, so if you use one, confirm in the RFP and in acceptance testing that the monitoring program does not use the write functions. Uses that require writing, such as NC program transfer, are handled as a separate mechanism from monitoring
• Use encryption and authentication: For products that let you choose certificate-based authentication and encryption, such as HEIDENHAIN’s OPC UA NC Server, configure them to use it. Also decide on certificate expiry dates and the renewal procedure
• Manage control software versions: Whether a control is covered by an advisory depends on its version. Record versions in the inventory table and have an update plan
• Align clocks: To compare state changes between machines, the clocks of the collection devices must agree. Include clock offset as an acceptance test item

What to require from the SIer

IEC 62443 includes IEC 62443-3-3 (2013), which defines system security requirements and security levels, and IEC 62443-2-4 (latest edition 2023), which defines security program requirements for service providers of industrial automation and control systems. Part 2-4 covers remote access, patching, backup and similar topics as requirements for service providers (SIers) that perform integration and maintenance. One approach is to have the SIer explain, in its RFP response, how its setup reflects 2-4 (remote maintenance procedures, management of work PCs, backup). As a prerequisite, draw the monitored machines and communication paths on a diagram.

Machine Tool Monitoring Costs and Payback (Model Calculation)

What follows is a model calculation. All numbers below are provisional figures set by this article; they are not industry averages, survey results or manufacturer prices. Within the scope of our research, none of FOCAS2, FANUC MTConnect Server, MT-LINKi, Okuma Connect Plan or HEIDENHAIN OPC UA NC Server had published prices. When you evaluate your own case, replace them with your own records and quotations.

Assumptions for model plant P

• A Japanese-affiliated precision machining plant in Thailand with 30 CNC machine tools from mixed builders and years
• Planned operating time per machine is 16 hours a day (2 shifts), 300 days a year: 4,800 hours a year per machine, 144,000 hours a year for 30 machines
• Utilization is currently tracked through daily reports and visual checks. How much “unnoticed stoppage” there is, such as machines left idle after a program ends, waiting for material or waiting for inspection, is not precisely known

Method assignment and initial cost (provisional)

The machine count totals 8 + 4 + 10 + 8 = 30 machines, the per-machine costs total 480,000 + 240,000 + 500,000 + 320,000 = THB 1,540,000, and the total initial cost is 1,540,000 + 1,160,000 = THB 2,700,000. Running costs (maintenance, licenses, server upkeep) are set at THB 270,000 a year.

Counting the benefit: compare against only one world

Count only the difference compared with “the same plant without machine tool monitoring.” The comparison (the counterfactual) is a single world in which order volume and staffing are the same as now and only the monitoring is absent.

Assume that with monitoring in place, unnoticed stoppages become visible on screens and through alerts, and that 0.3 hours of machining time per machine per day can be recovered.

• Recovered time: 0.3 hours × 300 days × 30 machines = 2,700 hours a year (about 1.9% of the 144,000 hours of planned operating time)
• Value of one recovered hour: THB 500 (provisional; set as the marginal profit per hour when there is additional work available to machine)
• Annual benefit: 2,700 hours × THB 500 = THB 1,350,000
• Net annual benefit after running costs: 1,350,000 − 270,000 = THB 1,080,000
• Simple payback period: 2,700,000 ÷ 1,080,000 = 2.5 years

If the assumption is halved

We also calculate the case where recovered time is 0.15 hours per machine per day (half of the above).

• Recovered time: 0.15 hours × 300 days × 30 machines = 1,350 hours a year
• Annual benefit: 1,350 hours × THB 500 = THB 675,000
• Net benefit after running costs: 675,000 − 270,000 = THB 405,000
• Simple payback period: 2,700,000 ÷ 405,000 = about 6.7 years

Depending on the assumed recovered time, the payback period swings widely, from 2.5 years to about 6.7 years. Moreover, if there is no work to put into the recovered time, the value of an hour is zero and this benefit does not materialize. When orders are falling, the benefit needs to be counted in a different form, such as “reduced overtime and holiday work” rather than “increased output,” and in that case you recalculate with a different unit value.

Figure: Model calculation for plant P. Breakdown of the THB 2,700,000 initial cost (four methods and common costs), and a comparison of recovering 0.3 hours per machine per day (simple payback 2.5 years) versus 0.15 hours (about 6.7 years). All figures are provisional values set by this article.

Avoiding double counting

• Do not add both the utilization gain and the recovered time: An increase of about 1.9 points in utilization measured against planned operating time and the recovery of 2,700 hours are two ways of describing the same event. Put a monetary value on only one of them
• Measure the baseline after monitoring is installed: “Unnoticed stoppages” before introduction were never measured in the first place. Record the first month after introduction as the current value (baseline), and count subsequent improvements as the difference. This current value is an approximation standing in for “the world without monitoring,” and it is a conservative way of counting, since any improvement that appears in the first month after introduction is not counted as a benefit. Read the 0.3 hours in the calculation as a difference from this current value as well. If you use the utilization from daily reports as the current value, you end up counting even the stoppages the daily reports missed as “improvement”
• Savings in daily report compilation effort are not included in this amount: If you include them, count the net effort after subtracting the new task of entering stop reasons
• Quality and tool life benefits are not included either: If you include them, base each on separate records. Adding unsupported benefits tends to mean counting the same time twice

What to Put in a Machine Tool Monitoring RFP

When requesting quotations from SIers or machine builders, including the following 12 items in the RFP makes proposals easier to compare and acceptance easier to carry out.

Item 5 is there because, as noted above, the MTConnect standard version and the agent version follow separate numbers. Item 6 is to keep the monitoring connection from becoming a path for writing to the control. Item 8 is built into the specification from the start because, if there is a lot of missing data, the utilization numbers themselves will not be trusted.

What to Check at FAT/SAT

The following are example acceptance test items. The times and counts are provisional target examples set by this article, not values from any standard.

FAT (before factory shipment, or in a pre-verification environment)

• [ ] Implementation of state definitions: The judgment rules for the five states are implemented as configured for each machine type (method)
• [ ] Matching state transitions: Select 1 representative machine per method, actually trigger running, feed hold, program end, manual operation, alarm and emergency stop, and confirm the on-screen state changes as intended
• [ ] Part count agreement: Machine a fixed number of parts (e.g. 20 pieces) and confirm the on-screen part count matches the actual count
• [ ] Handling missing data: Unplug a collection device’s cable, cut its power and so on, and confirm the gap is recorded as “missing data,” not as “stopped,” and that resent or buffered data fills in correctly after recovery
• [ ] Time: The clock offset between collection devices is within the pass criterion (e.g. within 1 second)
• [ ] No writing: Confirm that writing to controls is not possible with the monitoring system’s permissions
• [ ] Communication encryption and authentication: For certificate-based methods, unregistered clients cannot connect

SAT (after on-site installation)

• [ ] Matching states on every machine: Over a fixed period (e.g. 2 shifts for 3 days), compare the on-screen state records for all 30 machines with the records of operators or team leaders, or with video, and count state judgment errors per machine
• [ ] Stop reason entry: Operators can actually enter reasons, and the language display is correct
• [ ] Network boundary: Only traffic in line with the firewall rule table passes through
• [ ] Output to higher-level systems: Utilization is output according to the formula and matches a manual calculation
• [ ] Documentation and training: Procedure manuals in Thai and English, configuration diagrams, judgment rule tables for each machine and recovery procedures are all in place, and maintenance staff have been trained
• [ ] Records for the first 30 days of operation: Record the number of missing-data events, the number of state misjudgments and the rate of stop reasons not entered, and link them to an improvement plan

Matching states takes the most time at SAT. On retrofit-signal machines in particular, the boundary between “Running” and “Stopped” easily shifts depending on the threshold setting, and unless the errors found here are eliminated, the utilization numbers will not be trusted. For how to keep logs that let you replay and analyze stoppages afterward, also see “Equipment Runtime Log Capture: Replayable Stop Analysis“.

Issues Specific to Thailand and ASEAN

1. Machines from different countries of origin side by side

In Thai machining plants, Japanese machines and machines from Europe or other Asian countries sometimes stand in the same workshop. umati is an initiative led by Germany’s VDW, and MTConnect is a trademark of AMT in the United States. Which of the two a builder supports more strongly may differ from builder to builder. That is exactly why the approach of assigning a method per machine, rather than committing to a single standard, pays off.

2. Answer quality varies by the machine builder’s local distributor

Local distributors may not be able to answer immediately about control options or software versions. If you standardize the items in the inventory table, confirm them in writing and record where each answer came from (Japanese headquarters, local subsidiary or distributor), you can trace it later if conditions turn out to differ.

3. Operators’ language and input habits

Stop reason entry will not take hold unless it is displayed in the language operators use. Design from the start a display in 3 languages (Thai, English and Japanese) and a number of reasons that is easy to enter (not too many choices). Track the entry rate in the 30-day records after SAT.

4. BOI efficiency improvement measures

The BOI “Measures for improving production efficiency for existing projects” (investment promotion guide 2023) set out the following conditions: the business must be an existing project in operation (whether or not it is BOI-promoted); for BOI-promoted projects, the corporate income tax exemption period must have ended or must not have been granted; and the investment must be at least 1 million baht (excluding land cost and working capital). Sub-measures include “1.1 Machinery replacement and automation,” “1.2 Adoption of digital technology” and “1.3 Transition to Industry 4.0.”

The incentives under 1.1 are exemption of import duty on machinery and a 3-year corporate income tax exemption (capped at 50% of the efficiency improvement investment), and the cap becomes 100% if linkage with Thailand’s automation industry is 30% or more of the value of the machines being replaced. Under 1.1, investment in software and IT that controls, monitors and supports the manufacturing process together with machinery and equipment is also counted. Measure 1.2, adoption of digital technology, covers software and information systems that link inside and outside the organization (with at least three resource management functions) and similar.

Note that under 1.1 and 1.2, activities such as “general automobile manufacturing (Activity 3.6)” are excluded. Auto parts manufacturing does not appear on the list of excluded activities. However, whether the incentives actually apply is for the BOI to decide case by case. In addition, this information reflects the 2023 guide as written, and we have not been able to confirm the application deadline or the latest revisions as of October 2026. If you are considering using these measures, check with the BOI or a specialist, including whether you are within the application deadline.

5. Remote maintenance and machine builder connections

When machine builders in Japan or overseas perform remote maintenance, draw where that connection enters the OT network on a diagram and put it in the firewall rule table. Avoid a situation in which the path created for monitoring is left permanently open as a remote maintenance path.

6. Rolling out to other sites

The state definitions, inventory table, approach to method assignment and FAT/SAT items you create in Thailand can be used as-is at other sites such as Vietnam. Using the same definitions lets you compare utilization between sites with the same meaning. However, incentive schemes and laws differ by country, so check them individually in each country.

Frequently Asked Questions About Machine Tool Monitoring

What is MTConnect, and what does an MTConnect implementation require?

MTConnect is a standard for reading data from manufacturing equipment such as machine tools using a common vocabulary, and the latest version of the standard is Version 2.7 (adopted February 2026). An MTConnect implementation requires an adapter for each machine that converts CNC data and an agent that collects the data and provides it via REST or MQTT. The reference implementation agent (cppagent) is open source under the Apache License 2.0, but check the conditions for each builder’s adapters and control options model by model.

What is the difference between umati and MTConnect?

OPC UA for Machine Tools (OPC 40501-1, currently Release 1.02.0), the core of umati, is an information model built on OPC UA and developed by the OPC Foundation and VDW. MTConnect is the MTConnect Institute’s own information model, in which the agent provides data on a read-only basis. Both handle machines from different builders with a common vocabulary, and the criteria for choosing are which one your machines can output and which one your higher-level systems can more easily receive.

Can older machine tools be monitored?

Yes. Even on machines whose data cannot be extracted from the control, you can judge running and stopped by retrofitting signal tower, current or contact signals. However, the information is shallow, and you often cannot see the program number or alarm content, so stop reasons are supplemented by operator input. Some control builders offer connection options for older machines, so check with the builder first.

Can CNC data collection have adverse effects on the control?

For monitoring, the principle is a configuration that does not write to the control. The MTConnect agent is designed to be read-only, but some APIs such as FOCAS2 can read and write, so specify in the RFP that write functions are not used and confirm this in acceptance testing. Also, because CISA has issued multiple advisories on machine tool controls, build OT network separation, firewalls and software version management into the design from the start.

How much does machine tool monitoring cost?

Prices were not published for the major products we checked, and costs vary greatly with the number of machines, the combination of methods and the state of the network. In this article’s model calculation (provisional numbers), we set an initial cost of THB 2,700,000 and annual running costs of THB 270,000 for a 30-machine plant, and the simple payback period ranged from 2.5 years to about 6.7 years depending on the assumed recovered time. We recommend recalculating with your own quotations and the current values measured after introduction.

Where should machine utilization visibility start?

Start with the machine inventory and the state definitions. List the control model, year, options and communication ports of every machine, and decide which signals are used to judge “Running,” “Stopped,” “Setup,” “Alarm” and “Planned stop.” Then the approach with the least rework is to select 1 representative machine per method, try it, confirm the state judgment works as intended, and only then roll out to all machines.

Summary

If you start machine tool monitoring from the choice of standard, MTConnect or umati, you get stuck on how to handle older or unsupported machines. First align the plant on one definition of the five states, that is, “what counts as running,” and then assign MTConnect, umati (OPC UA for Machine Tools), the control builder’s proprietary API or retrofit signals to each machine. Thinking this way positions standards as a means, not an end.

Check standard versions and software versions separately, and make OT network separation and a read-only configuration the default, so that the monitoring connection does not become a path for writing to controls or for attacks. Because cost-effectiveness changes greatly with the assumed recovered time and whether there is work to put into that time, plan on recalculating with the current values measured after introduction. And in acceptance testing, confirm one by one, through state matching, part counts, missing data, time and stop reason entry, that the states you defined are recorded with the same meaning on every machine.

You are welcome to consult TOMAS TECH even at an early stage, such as taking inventory of your machines, organizing state definitions, considering method assignment, or drafting the RFP and acceptance criteria. We will work with you to sort out where to start, in line with the realities of Thai plants where machines from different builders and years stand side by side. Please contact us through this form.

References

• MTConnect: Version 2.7 release (GitHub, February 2026)
• MTConnect: Version history of the standard (GitHub)
• MTConnect: cppagent v2.8.0.3 release (September 25, 2026)
• MTConnect: cppagent v2.8.0.1 release (September 3, 2026)
• MTConnect: cppagent (README and license)
• MTConnect: Schema (MTConnectStreams_2.7.xsd)
• MTConnect: v1.4.0 ANSI edition (ANSI/MTC1.4-2018)
• AMT: Article on ANSI accreditation of the MTConnect Institute
• OPC Foundation: OPC 30070-1 MTConnect Devices
• OPC Foundation: Version information for OPC 40501-1
• OPC Foundation: OPC UA for Machine Tools reference
• OPC Foundation: Scope and table of contents of OPC 40501-1 v1.02
• VDW: Introduction to umati
• Mitsubishi Electric (Europe): Announcement of umati support at EMO 2019 (September 16, 2019)
• Tokyo Big Sight: JIMTOF 2026 event information (June 19, 2026)
• FANUC America: FOCAS2 Library
• FANUC: New product information for Series 30i/31i/32i-MODEL B Plus
• FANUC America: FANUC MTConnect Server
• FANUC America: MT-LINKi
• Okuma: Connect Plan press release
• HEIDENHAIN: OPC UA NC Server brochure (09/2022)
• MarkLines: Thailand four-wheel production in August 2026 (September 28, 2026)
• Capital.com: Thailand’s August car production and FTI’s full-year forecast (September 28, 2026)
• MarkLines: Thailand motorcycle production (September 28, 2026)
• Nation Thailand: Application status of the BOI smart and sustainable measures (August 13, 2026)
• MGR Online: Upgrading of Japanese production bases and the BOI, JETRO and JCC meeting (August 17, 2026)
• BOI: Smart and Sustainable Industry (investment promotion guide 2023)
• ISO 22400-2:2014 project information
• ISO/DIS 22400-2 project information
• CISA: ICSA-26-078-05 Mitsubishi Electric CNC Series (Update A)
• CISA: ICSA-23-208-03 Mitsubishi Electric CNC Series (Update E)
• GlobalSpec: IEC 62443-2-4:2023