Manufacturing facilities generate millions of data points daily from sensors, PLCs, and machines. However, this valuable information often remains trapped in isolated systems, preventing manufacturers from gaining comprehensive insights. MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) has emerged as a key protocol for solving this challenge, enabling seamless communication between devices and systems across the factory floor and beyond.

MQTT in Manufacturing Applications Summary:

• MQTT’s lightweight, publish-subscribe architecture enables efficient real-time data exchange in manufacturing environments with minimal bandwidth requirements.
• The protocol bridges communication gaps between factory floor devices, MES systems, SCADA, and enterprise applications for seamless data integration.
• Quality of Service (QoS) levels in MQTT ensure reliable message delivery even in challenging network conditions.
• Standardizing data formats with frameworks like Sparkplug B improves consistency and interoperability across diverse manufacturing systems.

How MQTT Works in Manufacturing Environments

MQTT uses a publish-subscribe model that differs fundamentally from traditional request-response protocols. In this model, devices publish data to specific topics on a central broker, which then distributes this information to all subscribed systems. For example, a temperature sensor might publish readings to a topic like “plant/line1/oven/temperature,” while multiple systems-from local HMIs to cloud analytics platforms-can subscribe to receive these updates.

This architecture offers significant advantages in manufacturing settings. By using a broker as an intermediary, MQTT reduces the bandwidth burden on field devices, which would otherwise need to communicate directly with multiple clients. This is particularly valuable for resource-constrained devices like sensors and older PLCs that have limited computing power.

Key Benefits of MQTT for Smart Manufacturing

Bi-Directional Communication Across All Levels

MQTT enables true bi-directional data flow throughout the manufacturing hierarchy. The same protocol can handle communication from the shop floor to the enterprise level and back. A PLC can publish production data to an MQTT broker, which then forwards it to MES and SCADA systems. Simultaneously, enterprise systems can send commands back down to the factory floor using the same infrastructure. This unified approach eliminates the need for multiple protocols and simplifies system integration.

Reliability in Challenging Network Conditions

Manufacturing environments often face network challenges including intermittent connectivity and bandwidth limitations. MQTT addresses these issues through its Quality of Service (QoS) levels, which define how message delivery is handled:

• QoS 0: Delivers messages at most once, suitable for non-critical data where occasional loss is acceptable.
• QoS 1: Ensures messages are delivered at least once, though duplicates may occur.
• QoS 2: Guarantees exactly-once delivery, critical for control commands and safety-related communications.

These options allow manufacturers to balance performance needs with data reliability requirements. For monitoring applications, lower QoS levels minimize network overhead, while critical control systems can use higher levels to ensure message integrity.

Real-World MQTT in Manufacturing Applications

One of MQTT’s strengths is its ability to integrate both legacy and modern equipment. Standard PLCs like Siemens S7 or Opto22 often ship with built-in MQTT capabilities, allowing them to publish data directly to brokers. For older equipment without native support, edge gateways can collect data via traditional protocols like Modbus and translate it to MQTT, creating a unified data layer across the factory.

MQTT serves as an ideal bridge between SCADA systems and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). Rather than point-to-point connections between these systems, MQTT creates a data hub where both can publish and subscribe to relevant information. This approach breaks down data silos, ensuring all systems have access to the same real-time information. For example, quality data from QMS can be integrated with production data from SCADA, providing a comprehensive view of manufacturing operations.

Best Practices for Implementing MQTT

Standardizing Data Formats

While MQTT’s flexibility in handling various data formats is an advantage, it can lead to inconsistencies. Implementing standardized formats like Sparkplug B provides a structured approach to MQTT payloads, improving interoperability between diverse systems. This standardization is particularly important in manufacturing environments with equipment from multiple vendors, as it ensures data consistency and simplifies integration.

Scaling Across Multiple Facilities

For manufacturers with multiple plants, MQTT offers efficient ways to aggregate data across locations. MQTT brokers at individual factories can use bridging to push data to a central broker cluster in the cloud. This architecture enables enterprise-wide visibility while maintaining local control and minimizing WAN traffic. The central broker can then forward relevant data to enterprise services like data lakes, analytics platforms, or machine learning systems.

How Shoplogix Leverages MQTT for Manufacturing Intelligence

Shoplogix’s manufacturing intelligence platform utilizes MQTT’s capabilities to collect real-time data from diverse equipment and systems. By leveraging the protocol’s lightweight nature and reliability, Shoplogix enables manufacturers to gain insights from previously isolated data sources. The platform’s integration with MQTT allows for seamless connectivity between shop floor devices and analytics tools, providing manufacturing teams with actionable information to improve efficiency and quality.

Final Thoughts on MQTT in Manufacturing Applications

MQTT has become a cornerstone of modern manufacturing communication, enabling the real-time data exchange needed for Industry 4.0 initiatives. Its lightweight design, reliability features, and flexible architecture make it ideal for connecting the diverse systems found in manufacturing environments. By implementing MQTT with appropriate standardization and integration strategies, manufacturers can break down data silos and create a unified view of their operations-from the factory floor to the enterprise level.

What You Should Do Next 

Explore the Shoplogix Blog

Now that you know more about MQTT in manufacturing applications, why not check out our other blog posts? It’s full of useful articles, professional advice, and updates on the latest trends that can help keep your operations up-to-date. Take a look and find out more about what’s happening in your industry. Read More

Request a Demo 

Learn more about how our product, Smart Factory Suite, can drive productivity and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) across your manufacturing floor. Schedule a meeting with a member of the Shoplogix team to learn more about our solutions and align them with your manufacturing data and technology needs. Request Demo