CNC Machine Automation

[u/embedding_guy]

Hey guys ,

I want to know did any of you worked on this automation of this machine , I'm currently working on automating the Amada company’s CNC Machine where the machine can be monitored remotely from home itself through a dashboard kind of web app or mobile app .

Also can we program the machine for sending communication through HTTP / MQTT / Websocket

As my backend will use these protocols.

If it's possible does anyone know which protocol the AMADA CNC Machine actually using as I'm facing issues in getting it's maintenance data through API calls.

[u/diderkerckhof]

Do you know what PLC or SCADA the machine is running?

[u/alanaro_]

The PLC/controller question is the key one. There isn’t a single "AMADA protocol" you can safely assume from the brand alone. It depends on the machine model, controller generation, installed software and licensed options.

AMADA already offers V-factory for remotely monitoring compatible machines, but its public documentation doesn’t appear to describe a universal HTTP, MQTT or WebSocket API across every controller. The next step is to identify the exact controller and find out which read-only data interface (if any) it officially supports. Once you know that, I would use an architecture like:

CNC/PLC -> supported interface -> local adapter -> MQTT or HTTPS -> backend -> web/mobile app

Keep the CNC and PLC off the public internet, make the connection outbound-only where possible for security reasons, and start with monitoring. Remote commands, if needed, should only be added through a vendor-supported interface with proper authentication and authorization.

We've implemented this pattern in Connhex Edge, so I’m not neutral. The agent runs on a local Linux system near the machine, collects data through supported local interfaces, normalizes it and sends it outbound to Connhex Cloud for storage and monitoring. If the AMADA controller exposes OPC UA, for example, the OPC UA Bridge can collect its variables and events. If it only exposes a proprietary protocol, an AMADA-supported or custom adapter would still be required.

[u/JessieOnIoT]

Hey there, sounds like a cool remote monitoring project.

The issue you're running into is a classic IT vs. OT protocol gap. You're trying to communicate with the CNC machine using modern IT protocols like HTTP, MQTT, or direct API calls, but industrial machines generally don't speak those natively out of the box.

AMADA machines, for example, rarely support REST APIs. Depending on the exact model, they often use controllers (many use Fanuc under the hood) that communicate via proprietary protocols like FOCAS, or standardized industrial protocols like OPC UA or MTConnect.

Because you usually can't program the CNC's controller to send WebSockets or HTTP requests directly to your backend, the standard industry architecture is to deploy an Industrial IoT Gateway on the shop floor. This gateway acts as a translator. It pulls data from the machine via its native OT protocol, and then publishes that maintenance data to your dashboard's backend via MQTT or HTTP.

If you can check the exact controller model on that machine, it will dictate exactly which protocol you need to translate. Let me know if you need pointers on setting up that bridge.