Remote machine monitoring: what the current profile shows

The machine was switched on. But was it doing what it should?

Recently a red block appeared in our online monthly overview. Our module in the machine had detected a deviation in the current profile. On inspection, the disinfectant had run out. So the machine was on, but it was not working as it should. That is exactly the difference you do not see with an on or off signal alone.

What the current profile told us

A machine does not draw the same power all the time. Every step in the programme has its own pattern. On this machine a normal run first draws about 50 W for five minutes. That is followed by a step of about 2000 W with a fixed shape.

In that day’s run the second step was missing. The machine started, but consumption stayed low after that. The platform saw that the pattern did not match, marked the run red and gave a short diagnosis. The cause was simple: the liquid had run out. Without measurement it would only have been noticed when someone went to look, or when a complaint came in.

Why on or off is not enough

Many machines only report whether they are on or in fault. That says little about the result. A pump can run without pumping. A heater can be on while an element is faulty. A machine can finish a programme without the most important step.

Power consumption shows much more. Every run is logged with its duration and consumption. That way you also see slow changes: a motor that draws a little more current each week, or runs that keep getting longer. That is often the first sign of wear, well before the machine stops.

How we measure, also on existing machines

On a new machine we build in a module. It measures current, and where needed also temperature, pressure or contacts. On an existing machine that is not necessary. If the machine may not be modified, for example because it is certified, we measure from the outside with a measuring plug or a current clamp. Nothing changes on the machine itself.

The measurement data goes via 4G, wifi or Ethernet to a European cloud. The analysis of the current profile runs on our own server. You see the result in a dashboard in your own house style that works simply on a phone and a computer. A green or red block per machine per day, and for red a diagnosis with one click.

Monitoring as a service

If you would rather not buy or manage hardware yourself, it is also available as a service. You then pay a fixed amount per device per month. We supply the measurement, the connection and the dashboard, and keep it running.

More than 800 of our systems now send their measurement data every day. We develop the board, the firmware and the dashboard ourselves. That means we can adapt the measurement to your machine, instead of adapting your machine to a standard system.

Read more about measuring and dashboards on the page remote monitoring and dashboards. How this works out for a customer is described in the project monitoring machines nobody is allowed to touch.

A shorter version of this article appeared on LinkedIn on 21 October 2026. Follow ProCircuits on LinkedIn