Integrating MES/MOM and ERP with Tederic Injection Molding Machines - Digital Factory 2025

Introduction to MES/MOM Integration

Injection Molding Machine Integration with MES/MOM and ERP Systems Is No Longer a Luxury for Large Corporations.

Requirements in 2025:

• Traceability
• ESG reporting
• Shorter lead times

These requirements mean even mid-sized plants need real-time production data visibility.

OT-IT Integration Results (ARC Advisory Group):

• +18% increase in OEE
• -22% response time to complaints

In the plastics processing industry, these figures are even higher because complex molds and short runs demand quick decision-making.

Thanks to integration of Tederic Smart Monitoring with the MES/MOM layer, it's possible to consolidate data from machines, robots, temperature control systems, raw material warehouses, and quality control into a single business logic. The result? Production oversight without "running around the shop floor," automatic reports for automotive or medical customers, and the ability to optimize scheduling to maximize utilization of critical molds. This guide walks you through designing the integration architecture step by step, selecting communication standards, and managing cybersecurity.

Keep in mind that a well-integrated system isn't just about ease of use—it's about measurable cost reductions. Connecting the OT layer to ERP can eliminate dozens of spreadsheets, reduce production reporting errors by 90%, and streamline mold amortization accounting. It also boosts transparency in supplier collaboration—many OEM customers now require data sharing via supply chain portals. Without seamless integration, this is practically impossible.

What Is MES/MOM for Injection Molding?

MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and MOM (Manufacturing Operations Management) are systems that bridge the gap between ERP planning and machine control. They handle job scheduling, mold allocation, progress monitoring, quality control, material batch traceability, and KPI reporting. In an injection molding shop, MES integrates injection molding machines, cooling systems, peripheral robots, assembly stations, and quality labs to create a unified production view.

The key advantage of MES over classic SCADA is business context. The system knows which job is running, what tolerances apply, which raw materials were issued, and how much time remains until shipment deadline. It can automatically respond: send instructions to operators via terminals, alert planners on efficiency drops, or even suggest job sequence changes. MOM extends this with resource management, competencies, and quality procedures—essential for IATF 16949 or ISO 13485 audits.

In practice, MES becomes a cross-departmental collaboration platform. Technology teams log recipes, quality adds inspection plans, maintenance schedules reviews, and logistics tracks material status—all in one environment, eliminating data silos. ERP integration ensures batch number consistency and automatic cost booking, simplifying project and framework contract settlements.

History of Communication Standards

The first attempts at automatic data collection from injection molding machines date back to the 1990s, when manufacturers used proprietary, closed protocols. In 2000, the Euromap 63 standard emerged, defining data exchange via serial interfaces. Though limited, it enabled the first cycle and alarm reports. The revolution came after 2016 with Euromap 77 based on OPC-UA, making it Plug & Produce compliant. From then on, machines could connect to MES without custom drivers, with standardized semantic data descriptions.

Parallel developments included open standards:

• OPC-UA
• MQTT Sparkplug
• REST

MES vendors created connectors that link new injection molding machines in minutes by auto-loading variable lists without manual mapping.

Euromap Profiles:

• Euromap 83 - temperature control
• Euromap 84 - robots
• Euromap 85 - hot runner
• Euromap 86 - energy management

These profiles extend integration across the entire cell. This matters because traceability goes beyond the machine—it covers all devices impacting part quality.

The last two years have popularized 5G- and edge computing-based services. OPC-UA Pub/Sub and MQTT standards enable millisecond-latency data delivery to corporate clouds while securing OT networks. Companies build central support teams that monitor machine fleets across countries from one location, boosting process standardization and global optimization projects.

Types of Integration Architectures

Practical implementations yield three main architecture types:

• Point-to-Point Integration – MES communicates directly with each injection molding machine or controller. Simple, but hard to maintain with many devices.
• Integration via Intermediate Layer (Edge/Middleware) – Machine data flows to an edge server for filtering, standardization, then forwarding to MES/ERP. The most common architecture in 2025.
• Cloud Integration – Injection molding machines send data to a cloud platform (e.g., Tederic Smart Monitoring Cloud), which exposes APIs for MES/MOM. Ideal for multi-plant organizations.

Architecture selection depends on machine count, security needs, IT expertise, and whether the plant plans group-wide shared dashboards. Also key: deciding which actions to automate (e.g., machine lockout on nonconforming batch detection) versus operator discretion.

Euromap 63 Integration

Euromap 63 is still common on legacy machines. It relies on RS232/RS485 communication and simple telegrams for machine status, cycle counts, temperatures, and alarms. Though limited, it's often the only option for fleet upgrades. A good approach is serial-to-Ethernet converters and adapters that translate data to OPC-UA. Tederic offers ready-made gateways that provide not just translation but also data buffering for MES connectivity loss.

Euromap 63 implementations benefit from added sensors and material batch logging. For example, integrate big-bag scales with MES terminals so raw material changes are auto-recorded. Despite limitations, it delivers basic traceability and powers OEE reports.

Advanced projects use hybrids: basic parameters from Euromap 63, quality data (mold temperatures, cooling flows) via IO-Link modules. This enables gradual upgrades without full machine replacement and paves the way for Euromap 77.

Euromap 77 and OPC-UA Integration

Euromap 77 is the current gold standard for OPC-UA-equipped injection molding machines. It provides a complete variable list: cycle statuses, profile parameters, alarms, recipes, operating hour counters. This lets MES auto-fetch job lists and push recipes to machines with unauthorized change locks.

Euromap 77 Workflow:

1. ERP sends job order
2. MES assigns parameters (mold and material)
3. Tederic controller executes task
4. Data returns to MES
5. Reporting to ERP

Operators just confirm readiness and start production.

Euromap 77 includes security features like OPC-UA encryption and user authentication. Activate roles and audit logs—they're crucial for customer audits. Semantic models eliminate custom mappings; the system auto-identifies variables for temperature, pressure, counters.

Euromap expands with profiles 83 and 84. They unify data streams from thermostats, chillers, part-removal robots, and vision systems. MES gets the full cell picture, pinpointing downtime causes like cooling delays or robot faults. This yields precise OEE analysis and targeted bottleneck fixes.

API, Middleware, and Cloud

Plants increasingly connect injection molding machines via middleware platforms. This could be a dedicated edge server (e.g., industrial PC with Docker) running containers: OPC-UA collector, MQTT broker, time-series database, and API app. Benefits include fast scaling, AI analytics, and OT-IT network separation. In multi-site setups, edge data feeds corporate clouds for central KPI analysis and service planning.

APIs are critical for ERP integration. Modern setups ditch CSV files for REST/GraphQL. Job completion, material consumption, scrap, and quality status hit ERP right after cycles end. SAP S/4HANA, IFS Cloud, or Microsoft Dynamics 365 users can configure flows in Power Platform, slashing development time.

Solution Build and Key Components

Full integration spans five pillars: OT layer (machines, controllers, sensors), edge/middleware layer, MES/MOM layer, ERP system, and analytics/reporting area. Design each for scalability and security. For example: redundant RAID/UPS servers in edge; standardized changeover workflows in MES; material/mold index dictionaries in ERP; executive KPI cockpits in BI.

During design, map data flows: sources, buffering, consumers, decisions. This avoids logic duplication, like OEE calculations in multiple spots. Best practice: single "source of truth" per KPI—often the MES database, exposing aggregates to data warehouses.

OT Layer and Machine Interfaces

Here, Tederic injection molding machine controllers, robots, thermostats, chillers, and feeders are key. Every device needs certified OPC-UA/Euromap interfaces. Legacy machines use retrofit gateways to collect analog/digital signals as OPC tags. Ensure power quality too—unstable supply or Ethernet causes false alarms.

Pre-implementation: audit cabling, shielding, grounding; plan IP addressing. Increasingly, use VLAN segmentation (e.g., isolating robots from quality systems) and PTP time sync for consistent timestamps on reports and measurements.

IT Layer, MES/MOM, and ERP

The IT layer includes MES servers, databases, web applications, reporting modules, and ERP integrations. Key MES/MOM functions in the injection molding shop include: order management, mold planning, eDHR (Electronic Device History Record), andon/alarm system, SPC control, material batch tracking, and operator work time logging. ERP handles demand planning, material orders, finance, and production booking. Integration enables automatic data flow from order receipt to shipment.

Modern MES systems offer low-code modules for configuring quality control forms, safety checklists, and changeover instructions. This allows process engineers to modify workflows themselves without involving programmers. It's also worth noting offline capability – if the ERP connection is lost, MES should continue collecting data and sync it once connectivity is restored.

A key part of the architecture is a data warehouse or lakehouse that stores production history. This is where data from MES, ERP, LIMS, CMMS, and finance flows in. From this foundation, management reports, cost analyses, demand forecasts, and ESG dashboards are generated. Data governance tools are increasingly used to ensure data quality and GDPR compliance.

Key Technical Parameters

When designing integrations, define: data read frequency (for key parameters ≤1 s), acceptable transmission delays (e.g., for alarms 2 s, for KPIs 60 s), system availability (SLA 99.5% or higher), and data retention (often 3-5 years of full runs + archive). Key business metrics include: OEE, MTTR, changeover time, traceability completeness (percentage of orders with full data traceability), and ESG reporting time.

Cybersecurity is critical. IEC 62443 and ISO 27001 standards recommend network segmentation, multi-factor authentication, firmware updates, and SOC monitoring. For cloud integrations, ensure VPN encryption, password policies, and role-based access control. Many projects also use digital signatures for recipes and quality protocols to prevent data tampering.

Complement implementation with soft metrics: percentage of operators logging into MES, alert response time, and workflow modification count. These help manage change and assess if staff are actually using the new tools. If metrics fall short, conduct additional training or simplify interfaces.

Applications and Business Scenarios

MES/MOM and ERP integration unlocks dozens of scenarios:

• Automated production reporting – after each cycle, the system records part count, scrap, cycle time, and energy consumption.
• Material batch traceability – MES assigns each granule spool to a specific order, simplifying claims.
• Dynamic scheduling – schedules are recalculated based on actual progress, mold availability, and operator availability.
• Quality lab integration – CMM measurements or functional test results automatically feed into eDHR.
• Energy management – kWh per part data flows to the ESG module, supporting CSRD reporting.
• Predictive maintenance – machine events automatically generate CMMS tickets with parameter history.

In practice, an automotive plant integrating 20 Tederic DE injection molding machines with MES and SAP achieves: 12% reduction in changeovers, 1.8 pp scrap reduction, full batch traceability for PPAP Level 3, and audit prep time cut from a week to one day. Medical firms value electronic DHR records and automatic production blocks if SPC results exceed limits.

A growing scenario is customer platform integration. OEMs provide APIs for real-time order status and quality data from suppliers. This ensures supply chain transparency, with suppliers getting quick forecast updates. Internal integration thus becomes a gateway to prestigious supplier programs.

How to Choose an Integration Strategy?

Key questions: Which KPIs do we want to improve? Which regulations must we meet? What's the current IT/OT infrastructure? From this, create a priority map and decide whether to start with one line (pilot) or integrate the entire plant. Use Value Stream Mapping to identify information loss points, then select MES modules for the fastest ROI.

When selecting a vendor, focus on: Euromap/OPC-UA support, ready-made ERP connectors, workflow configurability, licensing (subscription vs. perpetual), 24/7 support, and industry references. You don't always need a full system replacement – sometimes expanding existing SCADA with a MES module meets customer needs. Base long-term strategy on a technology roadmap covering digital twins, AI quality control, and ESG reporting. Integration should be flexible enough to handle these without costly overhauls.

Maintenance and Change Management

Integration is a living process requiring hardware and skills maintenance. Best practice: form an OT/IT team to monitor connectors, update Euromap/OPC versions, manage backups, and handle incidents. Schedule disaster recovery tests, staff drills, and periodic role/permission reviews.

Don't overlook the human factor. Every integration project should include training: operators (MES terminals, alert response), engineers (data analysis, recipe creation), planners (order queue management), and quality (report generation). Implement a suggestion system – shop floor staff know best which forms to simplify or data to add. Ensure communication too – regular stand-ups catch implementation barriers and sustain engagement.

Summary

Integrating Tederic injection molding machines with MES/MOM and ERP is the foundation of a digital factory. It provides full process visibility, meets customer and standard requirements, and paves the way for advanced analytics, digital twins, and AI. Success hinges on solid architecture, phased rollout, and consistent change management. Even a mid-sized molding shop can shift from Excel sheets to fully automated data flow in months, gaining a competitive edge in a demanding market.