Generic

Packaging Line

45 minutesEasyMQTTFull OEE

What You Need

Cat6 Ethernet cableIncluded in kit

Flowstate CL260 edge nodeIncluded in kit

CT101 current clamp (if no PLC)Included in kit

Customer provides:

1
Identify the line PLC
Locate the main packaging line PLC (typically Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or Omron) in the control cabinet. Find the Ethernet port.
2
Connect Ethernet cable
Cat6 from the PLC Ethernet port to the Flowstate edge node. If the PLC uses a dedicated network, connect through the switch in the control cabinet.
3
Mount sensors (if no PLC data)
If the packaging line has no PLC with Ethernet, mount a photo-eye sensor at the output conveyor for case counting, and a CT clamp on the main drive for run/stop detection.
Many older packaging lines lack networked PLCs. Sensor-based monitoring is a practical alternative.

1
Map production counters
From the PLC program or sensor wiring, identify signals for: cases per hour, film usage (encoder or weight), label verification (pass/fail), jam detection (photo-eye blocked >5s), and pallet complete count.
2
Configure edge node bridge
On the Flowstate edge node, set up a Modbus TCP or MQTT bridge to poll the PLC registers or subscribe to sensor topics. Map each signal to a named Sparkplug B metric.
3
Set alarm thresholds
Configure alerts for: cases/hr below target, jam detected, label fail rate above 1%, and film roll low.

1
Run production test
Run the line for 5 minutes. Verify case count increments, film usage tracks, and jam detection triggers correctly when a package is held.
2
Dashboard check
Packaging line appears in Flowstate with throughput rate, film consumption, label accuracy, and pallet count.

Cases per hour

Film usage (m or kg)

Label accuracy (%)

Jam detection (count)

Pallet count

Line run/stop status

Downtime minutes

Reject count

Don't have MQTT access?

The universal CT clamp works on any machine — 15 minutes, zero configuration.

Calculate what downtime is costing you, then get started.