Turning ELAU PacDrive Data into Actionable Machine Intelligence
The basic idea: PacDrive machines already hold valuable diagnostic intelligence. Machine Analyser® makes that intelligence available before it disappears, presenting it in a form engineers and managers can act on.
Pre-emptive measures can then be taken to minimise unplanned downtime potentially saving tens of thousands of pounds. As we have seen with their diagnostic codes ELAU PacDrive M and PacDrive 3 were designed with a different philosophy in mind. This requires diagnostics to go beyond generic fault representation and is where Machine Analyser® comes in.
Your PacDrive Machine Already Knows More Than You Think
Every PacDrive controller is continuously generating information about faults, drive condition, loading, communication events and machine behaviour. Most of it never gets used. It sits inside the control system, buried in a format that’s hard to interpret or it’s overwritten before an engineer gets a chance to look at it.
When a line does go down the usual assumption is that there isn’t enough data to work with. However, in most cases the opposite is true. What’s missing isn’t data, rather it’s access to it, a way to retain it and enough context to turn it into an answer instead of another number on a screen.
This gap — between the data that exists and data that’s actually usable — is where Machine Analyser® sits.
What Is Machine Analyser®?
Machine Analyser® is a diagnostic intelligence and condition monitoring platform built specifically for ELAU PacDrive M and PacDrive 3. It connects read-only to your existing controller and turns machine and drive data into root cause, remedy and machine-health information. It then presents this on a browser.
Importantly, it doesn’t replace the control system and doesn’t add conventional sensors on to the machine. Instead, it works entirely with data the PacDrive controller is already producing.
Who Is Machine Analyser® For?
- Engineers who get the exact fault, device and remedy delivered the moment a line stops. This saves hunting through fault codes with a laptop and cable.
- Managers who get live visibility across every machine and site and the data to move from firefighting to planned maintenance.
- Stores teams who get automated inventory and obsolescence alerts, to ensure the right PacDrive part is in stock before it’s needed.
- Finance which gets a subscription model with no CapEx and measurable KPIs from day one. Plus, a ROI figure which is an actual number rather than a projection.
How Is It Used in Practice?
During a breakdown an engineer opens Machine Analyser® in a browser. They will see the first-out fault, the affected device and the events leading up to the stop. This gives a clear starting point instead of relying on guesswork.
For intermittent faults, continuous logging means the history is still there even after the machine has reset and the original alarm has cleared from the controller.
For planned maintenance, recurring warnings and changing drive behaviour become visible before they cause an unplanned stop. As a result, teams have a genuine window in which to act.
For shutdown and spares planning, accumulated condition and obsolescence data shows which components need attention. This helps identify which spares to have in stock in advance.
For performance reviews, downtime and OEE data gives managers evidence of where losses occurred and whether corrective work actually worked.
Why Conventional Condition Monitoring Can Miss PacDrive Problems
Vibration, temperature, acoustic and oil monitoring are genuinely useful tools. But they all observe a machine from the outside. Conventional external monitoring methods don’t normally provide access to the PacDrive controller’s internal fault sequence, axis data, drive loading or communication events. This is the layer where a PacDrive-specific problem usually shows itself first.
Machine Analyser® reads this internal layer directly because it’s the same data the controller is already using to run the machine. It isn’t a replacement for external condition monitoring — it’s the layer those methods were never built to see.
How It Connects and Works
Machine Analyser® connects to the PacDrive controller through your existing network — via IPC, Windows VM or a locally hosted setup. The connection is strictly read-only by design. There is no programmatic path within the platform to write, modify or force any PAC variable or code because it’s an architectural constraint, not a setting which can be changed.
It uses a passive, asynchronous communication driver designed to run as a low-priority background task. This means your control and machine logic execution remain unaffected. As DMC puts it: we monitor the heartbeat; we don’t interrupt it.
Deployment fits around what a site already has, with two options depending on requirements:
- Cloud — Azure-backed, accessible from any device. It buffers data locally and resyncs automatically if the connection drops, with zero data loss.
- Local Control— 100% onsite, hosted by your own internal SQL servers, with full functionality retained and nothing leaving the facility.
The Four Machine Analyser® Modules
- PacDriveAssist — Breakdown Diagnostics. The exact fault, device and the 500 events preceding the stop, so an engineer arrives already knowing the fix.
- PacDriveManager — Asset and Maintenance. Machine health tracked by real-world wear rather than a calendar, linked directly to stores and spares data.
- PacDriveInsight — Risk and Obsolescence. Obsolete ELAU components and end-of-life risk flagged before they cause a failure.
- PacDriveMetrics — OEE and Performance. Management-ready OEE and downtime data — evidence you can bring to a meeting, no spreadsheet required.
What Information It Surfaces and How That Becomes Action
Fault and event history. Current and historic faults, the affected device and axis and the 500 events preceding a stop. This lets an engineer separate the original cause from the secondary faults a machine throws after it’s already stopped, preventing chasing the wrong one.
Drive and axis condition. Drive loading, I²t trends, following errors and communication stability. Changes here often show up before a machine fully fails turning a surprise breakdown into a scheduled repair.
Asset information. Installed controllers, drives and motors, firmware details, obsolescence status and spares availability. These can be compared against what is actually held in stores. This closes the gap between what’s on the floor and what’s on the shelf before an emergency order is needed.
Production information. Downtime events, stop frequency and duration and availability trends. This turns “the line was down” into a specific, recurring cause a manager can act on and later show was fixed.
For example, consider a “following error”. On its own the alarm just says the axis didn’t follow its commanded position closely enough but doesn’t say why. Machine Analyser® adds the surrounding fault sequence and drive data needed to move straight to investigating the likely cause. This could be mechanical resistance, belt tension and loading instead of working through it by a process of elimination.
What Changes?
Machine Analyser® doesn’t create new machine data. It makes the intelligence already inside the PacDrive system visible, understandable and usable before the line stops, not after.
Conclusion
Machine Analyser® bridges the gap between the intelligence already inside PacDrive systems and the actions needed to improve reliability. By preserving and contextualising critical machine data, it helps engineers diagnose faults faster, plan maintenance more effectively and reduce costly downtime. The result is greater visibility, better decision making and measurable operational improvements. All this without additional sensors, system changes or disruption to existing machine control.