Knowledge · Maintenance
How do I keep control over which machine data goes to the manufacturer?
By Gerd Bart, Founder and Managing Director · Updated
The short answer
You stay in control when you know which routes data takes out of your machines and decide, manufacturer by manufacturer, which data each one gets and for what: in the contract, in the network and in the software. Since September 12, 2025, the EU Data Act backs you up, because whoever holds the data of your connected machine, usually the manufacturer, may use the non-personal part of it only on the basis of a contract with you. On Transaction-Network every operator and every manufacturer has its own data space, and a manufacturer sees only its own machines in your plant.
Which routes data takes out of your machines today
Sharing data with the manufacturer is often in your own interest: with status and alarms, they can help faster. Control therefore starts with an overview of the routes that exist today.
Remote maintenance.
A router or VPN box from the manufacturer in the control cabinet. Check whether it is permanently connected or only on request.
An IoT box from the manufacturer.
An edge device that sends data to the manufacturer's cloud, for their customer portal for example.
Service laptop and USB stick.
During a site visit the technician reads out data, such as log files and parameters.
What you send yourself.
Service requests, photos, meter readings and fault reports through portals and email.
For each machine, write down which route leads to whom, which data travels over it, how often and where to.
Which data to tell apart
| Data | Examples | What service gains | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status and alarms | running, stopped, fault, alarm number | The manufacturer helps faster, often without a site visit. | Usually uncritical and useful for service. |
| Operating hours and counters | run time, spindle hours, cycles | Maintenance by actual use, early detection of wear. | Shows how heavily you use the machine. |
| Process values and programs | feed rate, spindle load, NC programs, recipes | Targeted help with quality problems. | Your manufacturing know-how. Share only for a defined purpose. |
| Production and order data | quantities, orders, links to your customers | Rarely needed for service. | Business figures. When in doubt, do not share. |
| Personal data | logins at the operator panel, shift assignments | Rarely needed for service. | The GDPR applies. Only with a legal basis. |
What the Data Act gives you
The EU Data Act, Regulation (EU) 2023/2854, has applied since September 12, 2025. It governs access to and use of data from connected products, not ownership of that data. For you as the user of a connected machine, that means:
The manufacturer uses data only under contract.
Whoever holds your machine's data, usually the manufacturer, may use non-personal data only on the basis of a contract with you. They may not use it to derive insights into your economic situation, your assets or your production methods that could undermine your position in the market. They share product data with third parties only to fulfill that contract (Art. 4(13) and (14)).
You get your data.
On request, they make the readily available data available to you without undue delay, free of charge and in a machine-readable format (Art. 4(1)).
You decide who else gets it.
At your request, they pass the data on to a service provider of your choice, free of charge for you (Art. 5(1)).
You learn up front what is generated.
Before you buy, rent or lease a connected machine, the supplier tells you which data it generates, in what format and volume, where it is stored and how you can access it (Art. 3(2)).
According to the European Commission's FAQ, the contract rule has applied since September 12, 2025 to machines bought before that date as well. These obligations generally do not apply to machines from micro and small enterprises (Art. 7). The regulation's text is what counts; this page is for information and is not legal advice.
How to set your rules and enforce them
In the contract.
For each manufacturer, set down purpose, types of data, storage location, retention and deletion, plus whether they may pass data to third parties and how you get your data back.
In the network.
The machines sit in their own network segment. A firewall at the boundary defines which connection may go where.
For remote access.
Remote maintenance runs only on request, enabled by your own people, limited in time and logged at your own boundary.
At the gateway.
An edge device or gateway forwards only the signals you have defined for a purpose.
When it ends.
When a contract ends or a machine leaves the plant, its access and data flows end too.
How Transaction-Network handles it
On Transaction-Network every operator and every manufacturer has its own data space. Access is granted only by role and permission.
Each manufacturer sees only its machines.
In your plant, a manufacturer sees only its own machines. Transaction-Network never passes data about other brands to any manufacturer.
Your data stays yours.
What you bring in and what is created in your account belongs to you. You can request some or all of your data at any time.
You decide about the AI.
When you upload a document, you decide whether the Service Brain may use it.
The commitments on manufacturers and data are set out in Transaction-Network's terms and conditions, in sections 7 and 12.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
May the manufacturer simply use my machine's data?
Under the Data Act they need a contract with you. Since September 12, 2025 they may use non-personal data from your connected machine only on that basis (Art. 4(13)). Machines from micro and small enterprises are generally exempt (Art. 7).
Which data should I give the manufacturer?
Status, alarms and operating hours help them support you faster and plan maintenance. Process values, programs and order data are your manufacturing know-how, so share them only for a defined purpose.
How do I stop more data than necessary leaving through remote maintenance?
With a separate network segment for the machines, a firewall at the boundary and remote access only on request, enabled by you, limited in time and logged.
On Transaction-Network, can a manufacturer see my other machines?
No. A manufacturer sees only its own machines in your plant, and Transaction-Network never passes data about other brands to any manufacturer.
Demo
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