Use what the machine already knows
A reliable running signal and production count can provide the foundation for valuable monitoring even when the machine has no modern data interface.
LEGACY MACHINE MONITORING
Production visibility for machines that were never built for dashboards.
Older equipment in Australian plants can still provide useful production information. ClearRivet is designed to use the simplest reliable data source available—machine signals, counts or suitable controller data—without requiring a control-system replacement.
WHY IT MATTERS
Modern visibility does not require a modern machine.
The key is selecting signals that truly represent production and validating them against actual machine behaviour. ClearRivet can then add the context, history and dashboards that the original equipment never had.
Bridge where needed
A suitable edge/gateway path can translate plant-floor data into the secure production-monitoring flow when direct cloud connectivity is inappropriate.
Prove accuracy on the real machine
Legacy signals can behave differently from modern tags, so commissioning must validate debounce, counts, timing and reconnect behaviour.
CLEARRIVET APPROACH
Modern visibility does not require a modern machine.
The key is selecting signals that truly represent production and validating them against actual machine behaviour. ClearRivet can then add the context, history and dashboards that the original equipment never had.
Discrete run-state monitoring
Production pulse/count acquisition
Configurable debounce/filtering
Unit conversion
Gateway connectivity
Optional PLC/protocol data where available
Offline/reconnect handling
Commissioning accuracy checks
CONNECT OLDER EQUIPMENT
Legacy machines can often be monitored without replacing the control system.
The best connection is the simplest reliable source that represents the real machine. For some equipment that is a PLC or controller value. For older machines it may be an isolated 24V run signal plus a production pulse or sensor. The objective is not to modernise the machine controls; it is to capture trustworthy production information without interfering with normal machine operation.
Know when the machine is genuinely producing
A suitable run-state signal provides the foundation for runtime, downtime and availability. Commissioning confirms that the signal represents production rather than simply control power or an unrelated machine state.
Capture a persistent production count
A PLC counter, pulse output or external sensor can provide the production count. Filtering, debounce and counter behaviour are checked against known output so the cloud record remains meaningful.
Bridge plant-floor data to the cloud
Where required, an industrial gateway can collect authorised machine data and transmit it securely to ClearRivet while the application logic, reporting and OEE calculations remain in the cloud.
COMMISSION BEFORE YOU SCALE
Legacy monitoring succeeds or fails on signal validation.
Older machines vary widely. A signal can bounce, a counter can reset after power loss, a pulse can arrive faster than expected or a controller value can behave differently during setup and production. ClearRivet commissioning therefore verifies the data against the real machine before a wider rollout.
For a pilot, the aim is deliberately narrow: prove the machine state, prove the count, confirm reconnect behaviour and then add downtime reasons, order context and higher-level KPIs. That staged approach lowers integration risk and makes it easier to decide whether the machine is a good candidate for expansion.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions manufacturing teams ask.
Do I need to retrofit a new PLC?
Not necessarily. If the existing machine exposes reliable signals, monitoring may be possible without replacing the control system.
Can sensors be added to old equipment?
Where appropriate and safe, an external sensor can sometimes provide a production signal when native data is unavailable. The exact method depends on the machine and site engineering requirements.
Is legacy monitoring less accurate?
It does not have to be, but it needs careful commissioning. Signal behaviour, pulse rate, electrical characteristics and filtering must be tested against known production.
EXPLORE CLEARRIVET
Related production monitoring capabilities.
See it. Then prove it.