IoT-Based Monitoring of KE-55 Milling Machine for Improved Machine Shop Operations

The paper describes designing and developing a cost-effective machine monitoring system for improved machine shop operations connecting two KE-55 milling machines to the internet to automatically monitor their off, idle, and run status. The machine monitoring system utilized the existing wireless internet network of the Department of Science and Technology- Metals Industry Research and Development Center (DOST-MIRDC) to send the data to a web server from a prototype machine status monitoring device composed of relays and a microcontroller connected to a local PC server running a Python script. Two web applications were developed and tested: one is an interface for the machine shop supervisor to enter a job and assign a specific machine to an operator, and another is an operator interface accessible through a tablet installed above the machine's control panel. The operator interface displays the real-time status of the machine and can manually indicate fault occurrences. Upon testing, it shows that the system helps improve the process of recording the utilization of machines by replacing manual tickets with automatic digital reports.