Everything you need to succeed with Factbird

Sensors are connected by cable to the Factbird devices. The Factbird devices send data to the cloud through a mobile phone connection or via WiFi or Ethernet.

No, there's no need to power down your machine during installation. A clamp-on current transducer doesn't require power off because it measures the magnetic field around a conductor, eliminating the need for direct contact with live wires. This method ensures safety, convenience, and efficiency, as it allows for continuous system operation and real-time monitoring without disrupting the circuit.

Note, while the clamp-on current transducers offer this plung-and-play advantage, it's crucial for users to adhere to all safety guidelines when working around electricity, including using appropriate personal protective equipment and following organizational protocols.

OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) software calculates and tracks equipment performance in real-time. It measures three key factors:

• Availability (uptime vs. planned production time)
• Performance (actual speed vs. ideal speed)
• Quality (good units vs. total units produced)

Instead of manual calculations or spreadsheets, OEE software pulls data directly from your production lines so you can see where time is being lost and act on it without waiting for end-of-shift reports.

Factbird can connect to both analog and digital sensors. Factbird was developed to allow the use of many types of sensors depending on customers' specifications.

Any digital sensor that outputs NPN or PNP signal is supported, by default, it is possible to have two sensors simultaneously connected to a single Factbird® DUO.

You can find a sensor overview guide here.

OEE is calculated by multiplying three main factors: 

• Availability x Performance x Quality = OEE

Availability measures actual production time vs. scheduled time. Performance compares actual output speed to ideal speed. Quality tracks good units vs. total units produced. The result is expressed as a percentage.

For example, if your line runs 90% of scheduled time, performs at 95% of ideal speed, and produces 98% quality parts, your OEE is 84% (0.90 x 0.95 x 0.98).

Want to go deeper? Our online course Mastering Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) covers the full calculation and how to apply it in practice.

MQTT clients are the end users of the communication system. Clients can both publish messages on a specific topic and subscribe to topics to receive messages. Each client is identified by a client ID, which helps in distinguishing between different clients in the system.

Yes, when a line is equipped with energy meters, one or multiple KPI representing energy consumption metrics can be visualized on the line overview page. For a comprehensive understanding or specific use cases, please contact us.

Factbird collects data through plug-and-play IIoT edge devices, PLC integrations, and software connections like Kepware. That data feeds directly into OEE calculations, tracking production counts, downtime events, and quality metrics as they happen. Operators log and categorize stops through Operator View, which keeps the data clean and consistent without adding friction to the shift.

The result is a live OEE score you can slice by machine, batch, shift, line, or full facility.

Employing the clamp-on current transducer, our system delivers precise estimations of power consumption. However, accuracy is contingent on the specific transducer installed. For detailed specifications, we recommend consulting the component's datasheet, which can be found on our support site.

Most customers see actionable insights within hours of installation. Real OEE improvements typically follow within weeks as teams identify quick wins. Based on customer data, manufacturers using Factbird improved OEE by an average of 9 points and productivity by 19% within the first 90 days.

Yes. Factbird lets you define your own stop categories, ideal cycle times, and quality parameters to match your specific manufacturing process. You can track OEE differently across product types, shifts, or production lines, and still compare results consistently across all of them.

Most manufacturers see their first useful data within hours of installation. Real improvements typically start within weeks as teams identify and address recurring losses. Based on customer data, manufacturers using Factbird improved OEE by an average of 9 points and productivity by 19% within the first 90 days.

OEE software calculates Overall Equipment Effectiveness using the standard availability, performance, and quality formula.

Production monitoring software is broader and tracks metrics like throughput, cycle times, and downtime causes without necessarily rolling them into a single efficiency score.

Factbird does both. You get the structured OEE calculation alongside the wider production data needed to understand what's driving it.

Operator View digitally embeds shared reason codes directly in the flow of work, so every stop is logged the same way across shifts and sites.

When a stop occurs, your operators get an alert so they can quickly and easily classify downtime, keeping data accurate and consistent for OEE and Pareto analysis while minimizing headaches.

Yes. Factbird provides a best-practice template for stop causes, refined from years of real-world deployments. You can adopt it as-is or fully customize the categorization of stops based on your organization's needs and preferences.

Factbird users typically use OEE as a key KPI (OEE1, OEE2, OEE3, and TCU), and align downtime/stop reason codes using this hierachy:

1. No activity at line – Planned non-production periods.
2. Non-production activity – Planned stops during operating hours, such as meetings or breaks.
3. Batch-specific non-operation – Necessary stops like cleaning or changeovers.
4. Loss during operation – Unplanned downtime and technical faults.

You can read more about downtime in our guide to downtime article and how stop categorization works in our stop classification in Factbird tutorial.

If you want to purchase a Factbird device, you simply contact us and we’ll help you through the process, making sure you get exactly what you need. You can either fill out a contact form or send an email to a member of our staff directly. You are also welcome to call us. You’ll find all of our contact information under contact.

Our support team is always available to help you. We also have a troubleshooting hardware guide that you can access here.