Remote Maintenance for Industrial Machinery: The Complete Guide for OEMs
The machine you deliver today generates revenue only once. The same connected machine generates recurring revenue throughout its lifetime—from maintenance, subscriptions, and firmware upgrades.
For an industrial machinery manufacturer (OEM), integrating remote maintenance is not just a sales pitch. It is a transformation of the business model. This article provides the technical, economic, and contractual foundations needed to successfully carry out this transformation.
1. Remote Maintenance as a Competitive Advantage
Changing Customer Expectations
Ten years ago, offering remote maintenance was a competitive advantage. Today, in many industries, it is a prerequisite for entering certain markets.
Food and Beverage: Modern production lines operate 20 hours a day, 6 days a week. An unplanned shutdown costs between €5,000 and €50,000 per hour, depending on capacity. Clients require commitments to resume operations within 2 to 4 hours, which is impossible to meet without remote diagnostics.
Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics: Equipment is subject to qualification procedures (IQ/OQ/PQ). Any modification or intervention must be documented. Remote maintenance with full traceability of sessions fully meets this requirement.
Automotive and Mechanical Engineering Industries: Major corporate clients are incorporating equipment connectivity into their selection criteria for requests for proposals. Non-connected equipment is excluded outright in some specifications.
Renewable Energy: wind turbines, solar power plants, industrial heat pumps—preventive maintenance based on operational data is a key factor in competitiveness.
What Your Competitors Are Already Doing
Manufacturers that have incorporated remote maintenance into their offerings report significant business impacts:
- Maintenance contract renewal rate: significantly higher—customers who benefit from real-time monitoring renew their contracts almost without exception
- Machine sales price: justifies a 3–8% premium on the machine price, which pays for itself in less than a year through maintenance savings
- Customer loyalty: Connectivity fosters regular contact between the manufacturer and the customer, encouraging the purchase of additional machines or the expansion of the fleet
2. Technical Architecture: Machine → Gateway → Cloud
The gateway as a component of the machine
The most effective approach is to integrate the Eziwan gateway as a standard component of the machine, just like the variable-frequency drive or the HMI unit. It is listed in the bill of materials, the electrical schematic, and the manual.
This integration from the design stage onward avoids retroactive integration issues (such as adapting the wiring and justifying the cost to the buyer) and makes it possible to offer remote maintenance seamlessly as a standard feature of the machine.
Complete Architecture Diagram
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Machine industrielle (OEM) │
│ │
│ [Capteurs et actionneurs] │
│ ├── Températures, pressions, débits │
│ ├── Moteurs, variateurs, servomoteurs │
│ └── Codeurs, capteurs de position │
│ ↓ Analogique / TOR │
│ [Automate / Motion controller] │
│ ├── Programme de production (protégé Know-How) │
│ ├── Variables de process (accessibles supervision) │
│ ├── Compteurs et historique local │
│ └── Codes défaut et diagnostics │
│ ↓ Modbus TCP ou RS-485 │
│ [Gateway Eziwan] ← Intégrée en standard dans l'armoire │
│ ├── Collecte Modbus (poll 1-60s configurable) │
│ ├── Bufferisation locale (perte 4G jusqu'à 48h) │
│ ├── 4G LTE Dual SIM (SIM multi-opérateurs incluse) │
│ └── Tunnel OpenVPN sortant → zéro port entrant │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ Tunnel OpenVPN chiffré
▼
[Cloud Eziwan]
↙ ↘
[Espace OEM] [Espace client]
- Toutes variables - Variables autorisées
- Firmware update - Supervision process
- Diagnostics - Alertes et historique
- Accès toutes machines - Ses machines seulement
Separation of Access Interfaces
The separation between the OEM space and the customer space is one of the most important aspects of the architecture. It addresses two conflicting needs:
- The OEM needs full access to the machine for diagnostics and maintenance
- The customer needs visibility into its production without seeing the manufacturer's know-how
Protected variables (OEM only): Calibration parameters, manufacturing recipes, PID control parameters, internal protection thresholds.
Shared variables (visible to the client): Process temperatures, pressures, flow rates, machine statuses, production counters, generic error codes.
3. Security: Protecting the Customer and Protecting Your Expertise
Trust as a Sales Pitch
Your customers always ask the same question: "If you have remote access to my machine, how can I be sure you can't see my confidential production data?"
And sometimes they ask the opposite question: "If a hacker compromises your manufacturer account, can they access my device?"
The technical solution to these two questions is cryptographic partitioning.
Cryptographic Partitioning
Independence of Access Spaces: The OEM space and the customer space use completely separate credentials that are unrelated to one another. Compromising a customer credential does not grant access to the OEM space, and vice versa.
Fine-grained selection of visible variables: The gateway configuration explicitly defines which variables are visible to each access level:
variables:
- nom: "Temperature_Etuve"
modbus_addr: 100
access_oem: read_write # OEM peut lire et modifier
access_client: read # Client peut lire
- nom: "PID_Kp_Etuve"
modbus_addr: 200
access_oem: read_write
access_client: hidden # Client ne voit pas ce paramètre
- nom: "Compteur_Cycles"
modbus_addr: 300
access_oem: read
access_client: read # Les deux peuvent lire les compteurs
Traceability of OEM Access at the Customer Site: The customer can see in their dashboard when OEM technicians logged in to their machine, for how long, and which variables they accessed. This transparency builds trust.
Protecting Your PLC Program
Regardless of the gateway, it is recommended that you enable the PLC's native security features:
Siemens S7-1500:
- "Know-How" Protection: Program encryption prevents reading even by TIA Portal
- "Copy" Protection: Program linked to the CPU serial number (cannot be copied to another CPU)
- Level 4 access protection (Full protection): any modification requires a password
Schneider M340:
- Password-protected access in EcoStruxure
- Encrypted program backup
4. Operational Data: A Gold Mine for the Engineering Department
Data that only the manufacturer can analyze
When your machine is in production at 100 customer sites, you have access to something unique: real-world operational data, collected under a variety of conditions over an extended period. This is a valuable resource that R&D teams at large companies spend millions to obtain.
Actual Component Lifespan: Statistically speaking, after how many hours of operation does the ball bearing on your machine’s Y-axis fail? Data from your fleet of 100 machines provides a precise answer to this question. What you thought was an MTBF of 8,000 hours may actually be 6,500 hours in real-world production, or 12,000 hours if operators follow lubrication procedures properly.
Correlation Between Parameters and Incidents: What combination of ambient temperature, motor load, and cycle time precedes a thermal regulator failure? These correlations will help improve preventive maintenance algorithms for future generations.
Actual Use vs. Intended Use: Is your machine being used according to its specifications? Some customers push the machine beyond its rated limits. Others use it well below those limits. This information guides design decisions (such as oversizing a component that is consistently operating at 95% of its capacity).
Fleet Segmentation: Some customers have default rates three times higher than average. Why? Analyzing operational data can reveal correlations with environmental factors (temperature, humidity, vibrations) or with operator practices.
5. Recurring SaaS Business Model
From One-Time Transactions to Subscriptions
Remote maintenance paves the way for an annual connected maintenance subscription. This model transforms the business relationship:
Traditional Model:
- Machine sales: one-time revenue
- Maintenance contract: renegotiated annually, often under price pressure
- Replacement parts: opportunistic revenue
Connected model:
- Machine sales: one-time revenue (unchanged, or even at a premium)
- Connectivity subscription: recurring revenue, automatic renewal
- Enhanced maintenance contract: achievable SLAs thanks to remote diagnostics, premium pricing
- Fleet data: value for R&D (not directly monetizable but strong indirect ROI)
Typical Pricing Structure
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
OFFRE STANDARD — Supervision opérationnelle
• Tableau de bord client en temps réel
• Alertes SMS/email sur défauts machine
• Historique 1 an
• 2 utilisateurs client inclus
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
OFFRE MAINTENANCE CONNECTÉE
• Tout le Standard +
• Accès technicien OEM à distance (illimité)
• SLA : diagnostic à distance sous 4h ouvrées
• Mise à jour firmware automate à distance
• Historique 3 ans
• 5 utilisateurs client inclus
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
OFFRE PERFORMANCE GARANTIE
• Tout le Maintenance Connectée +
• Rapport mensuel de performance machine
• Analyse prédictive (détection dérive)
• Engagement disponibilité machine
• Accès API données pour intégration client
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ROI Calculation for the OEM
For an OEM with 150 machines installed, assuming an average of 1.8 corrective service calls per machine per year:
| Metric | Without remote support | With remote support |
|---|---|---|
| Service Calls/Year | 270 | 108 (60% resolved remotely) |
| On-site Service Call Cost | €1,200 (travel + 4 hours of technician time) | €200 (1-hour remote session) |
| Corrective maintenance cost | €324,000 | €128,600 |
| Annual savings | ~€195,400 |
These are indicative estimates. The actual ROI depends on the location of the facility, the nature of the outages, and the internal organization.
6. Integration into the Product Lifecycle
Hardware Integration Recommendations
Dedicated Power Supply: Tap 24 V DC from a continuous power source (before the machine's main switch). The gateway must remain accessible even when the main machine is turned off—it is precisely at these times that remote diagnostics are most useful.
PLC Network: Connect the gateway to a dedicated Ethernet port (separate from the HMI port if possible). On single-port PLCs (S7-1200 CPU 1211C, M221, etc.), use a manageable industrial switch to separate the HMI, gateway, and engineering traffic.
4G Antenna: For steel cabinets, always provide a cable passage for a remote antenna. Indoors with a closed cabinet, the signal is often insufficient. A 3-meter LMR-200 cable with a directional antenna mounted outside the cabinet is sufficient in the vast majority of cases.
Documentation for Machine Manuals
Eziwan provides OEM partners with documentation to include in your machine manuals:
- Certified wiring diagram (DXF and PDF formats)
- Procedure for enabling and disabling remote maintenance (for the customer’s operator)
- Telemetry data privacy policy (GDPR-compliant)
- Gateway replacement procedure (warranty, end of life)
See also the dedicated page: OEM Machine Manufacturers for detailed information on the architecture and terms of the partner program.
FAQ — Remote Maintenance for OEMs
Can the customer disable the remote maintenance gateway on their machine?
Technically, yes—the customer can physically disconnect the gateway. From a contractual standpoint, the answer depends on the maintenance contract: OEMs that offer SLAs with a 4-hour response time may make that SLA contingent on remote maintenance being permanently enabled. In practice, customers rarely disable the gateway because they also use it to monitor their production.
How can we protect the PLC program (OEM know-how) while still allowing the customer to monitor it?
Two complementary levels of protection: (1) At the PLC level, enable Know-How protection (S7-1500) or password protection (M340) to prevent the program from being read, even via TIA Portal. (2) At the Eziwan level, configure variables such as access_client: hidden for confidential parameters. The customer sees only the process variables, not the configuration parameters.
How many machines can be managed under a single Eziwan OEM account?
There is no fixed limit—OEM accounts are designed for industrial fleets (ranging from tens to thousands of machines). The OEM dashboard allows you to filter by customer, machine model, and status (alert, normal, offline), and to compare performance across machines of the same model.
How should we bill customers for the remote maintenance subscription when reselling Eziwan?
Eziwan offers an OEM partner program with wholesale pricing. The OEM integrates connectivity into its own maintenance subscription, with the margin of its choice. The end customer is unaware of the relationship with Eziwan—they sign up for a “connected maintenance subscription” with the OEM.
What happens when a maintenance contract expires: Is OEM access discontinued?
Yes, if the contract includes this clause. From the OEM dashboard, access to a customer’s account can be disabled immediately (due to contract termination or a dispute) or transferred to another service provider. The customer’s historical data remains in their account and belongs to them—it is not lost.
Do you manufacture industrial machinery and want to incorporate remote maintenance into your next production run?
Join the OEM Partner Program →
Qualification interview (30 min), presentation of partner rates, and delivery of a starter kit (development gateway + access to a test OEM account).
