Your Lathes deserve a digital upgrade – without any new investment
Your lathes are running — but do you know how well?
Whether from DMG MORI, Mazak, INDEX, Gildemeister, Haas, EMAG, Weiler, Spinner, Okuma, Hyundai WIA or others — many manufacturing companies rely on proven but non-transparent lathes from a wide range of manufacturers. The machines operate reliably — but the data foundation required to properly evaluate productivity, idle time, or energy consumption is often missing.
Especially with older machines using different control systems, standardized monitoring often appears impossible — but this is exactly where Novo AI comes in.
With the AI sensor system and the WatchMen platform, we make your lathes digitally visible — in real time, without interfering with the control system, and independent of manufacturer. Machine states, cycles, runtimes, and downtime are captured directly at the machine — from CNC turning centers to conventional horizontal lathes. Even machines with more than 20 years of operating time can be retrofitted quickly and reliably.
Your machines do not need to be new — they simply need to become measurably better.
No matter the machine age, no matter the manufacturer — we retrofit your lathes
Do you operate machines from DMG MORI, Gildemeister, Mazak, EMAG, Okuma, Haas, Weiler, INDEX, Doosan, Spinner, Hyundai WIA, Takisawa, Colchester, Tornos, Hwacheon, Hardinge, Biglia, Monforts, Schaublin or other manufacturers? Perhaps even a mix of modern CNC turning centers and older manual machines?
With Novo AI, you can retrofit all these machines/ lathes simply, safely, and quickly — without machine modifications and without deep IT integration. Our AI sensors are mounted externally and capture high-resolution vibrations, acoustic data, and energy consumption. The data is transferred in real time to the WatchMen platform or optionally integrated directly into your ERP system.
Whether it is a DMG MORI turning center, a Weiler precision machine, or a Mazak CNC system: We make every machine transparent — across manufacturers, retroactively, and without requiring IT expertise on your side.
Your machine park becomes a digital manufacturing system — standardized, efficient, and future-proof.
Fast & simple retrofitting — even without an IT team
Many manufacturing companies face the same challenge:
“We do not have an IT department and our employees are not digital experts — how is this supposed to work?”
The answer: With Novo AI, that is not a problem.
Our AI sensor can be installed within 15 minutes per machine — completely without interfering with the machine control system and without requiring specialized knowledge. All you need is:
- A power connection
- A Wi-Fi connection or LAN port
The sensor is simply mounted externally on the lathes — no opening of the machine, no connection to the CNC control system, no risk to warranties.
After installation, it automatically transfers the data to the WatchMen platform, where you can immediately see:
What your machines/ lathes is currently doing — in real time.
Typical machine states that are captured:
- Productive operation (chips are running, parts are being machined)
- Setup process (tool changes, setting zero points, chip removal)
- Idle running (machine ready, but no machining active)
- Downtime (unplanned, e.g. alarms or tool breakage)
- Planned stop (breaks, maintenance, shift changes)
- Setup mode (test runs, reference movements)
- Run-down time (cooling down, spindle stop)
- Energy standby mode (control system active, but no movement)
Whether you operate a DMG MORI turning center from 2010, a Haas ST-20, an older Weiler precision lathe, or a modern Mazak Integrex — the retrofit process always remains equally simple.
And if something does not work as expected?
We are here for you.
Our team supports you during setup — on-site or through remote support.
You do not need any IT experience.
The solution works — even if your data has previously only existed in Excel spreadsheets or on paper.
✅ No programming
✅ No IT configuration
✅ No risk
Simply get started — and see in real time what your lathes are truly capable of.
Direct integration into your ERP system — for seamless workflows in turning production
Do you already work with an ERP system such as SAP, proALPHA, ABAS, Microsoft Dynamics, PSIpenta, Infor, Oxaion, or an industry-specific solution for machining operations?
Perfect — because that is exactly where your machine data from the turning shop should end up.
With Novo AI, connecting your ERP system is simple, secure, and efficient. Our WatchMen platform was designed from the ground up to be open and flexible:
✅ Integration via API or standardized ERP connectors
✅ Automatic transfer of your cycle, machine state, and energy data
✅ Seamless integration into your existing infrastructure — without complex adjustments
✅ Optional: Collaboration with your ERP provider or system integrator
As soon as the AI sensor is mounted on your lathes, it transfers all relevant information to the WatchMen platform in real time — for example:
- Spindle runtimes and cycle times per part
- Setup times, machine downtime, and idle phases
- Energy status and consumption per shift or production order
If desired, this data can be made directly available inside your ERP system — for example for:
- Real-time order and production feedback
- Productivity analysis of individual machines or shifts
- Post-calculation, controlling, and operational accounting
- Energy consumption analysis, CO₂ balances, and sustainability reporting
- Live dashboards for shift supervisors, operations management, or executives
You decide which data flows where, at what level of granularity, and in which format.
We support you throughout the process — together with your team or directly with your system partner.
Practical, modular, and aligned with your IT infrastructure.
Building trust — machines in focus, people at the center
Digital transparency is the foundation of every modern machining operation — but understandably, it also raises questions:
“What exactly is being captured? Who can see the data? And is this about control?”
At Novo AI, one thing is clearly at the center: improving your machine performance and production processes. Our AI sensor delivers objective data about spindle runtimes, cycle durations, energy consumption, setup ratios, and cycle deviations — without interfering with the control system or changing existing machine processes.
Many employees in turning production work based on experience, routine, and intuition.
That works — until a machine unexpectedly stops, cycle times fall outside the target range, or scrap is produced.
In those moments, the one critical piece of information needed to react quickly and safely is often missing.
This is exactly where WatchMen supports you.
Our platform shows in real time what is happening at every individual lathe and all the lathes´— clear, understandable, and straight to the point.
This allows employees on the shopfloor to:
- immediately recognize where disruptions or delays are occurring
- understand why a spindle is running idle or why cycle times fluctuate
- see how efficiently parts are currently being manufactured
- intervene proactively instead of only reacting to disruptions
Managers receive a tool that enables them to:
- analyze processes objectively and identify weak points
- make decisions based on data instead of assumptions
- support and empower their teams more effectively
- identify improvement potential together with employees
👉 The data shows causes instead of symptoms
👉 It makes relationships visible that previously remained hidden
👉 It helps ask the right questions — instead of searching for someone to blame
That creates trust.
Because when everyone in the team understands how their work contributes to overall performance, a new and stronger collaboration emerges — based on facts instead of assumptions.
The WatchMen platform reduces pressure instead of creating it.
It helps avoid downtime, increase productivity — and above all: make everyday work in turning production simpler and clearer.
Start now — without risk and with clear cost control
Getting started with digital machine transparency does not need to become a large-scale project.
Quite the opposite: With Novo AI, you can start small — and immediately see results. Completely without major investment pressure or lengthy implementation processes.
Our solution is scalable step by step.
That means:
You can start with just one lathe — whether from DMG MORI, Mazak, Weiler, EMAG, or Haas — and experience the effects live.
Even a single AI sensor already provides valuable insights into:
- Spindle runtimes
- Cycle deviations
- Idle phases
- Unplanned downtime
- Production utilization
Your advantages when getting started:
✅ Low entry costs through pilot projects
We offer starter packages specifically designed for retrofitting individual machines — without long-term commitments and without risk.
✅ Funding programs & support available
Together, we evaluate whether regional or national digitalization funding programs may apply — and we support you with the application process and project documentation.
✅ Grow at your own pace
As soon as you experience the added value, you can expand the solution to additional machines at any time — with a clear cost structure and a coordinated rollout.
Many of our customers report real “aha moments” after just a few days:
Where capacity is being lost, where setup times accumulate, or where simple optimization potential exists — all of this becomes visible at a glance.
The fact that Novo AI has also been presented with exactly this approach at events such as the Produktionsleiter-Forum underlines the industry’s trust in our solution.
Getting started with data-driven machining has never been this simple — or this secure.
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Productive Machine Time Gained
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Machine Idle Time Eliminated
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Questions or interested in learning more? We’re happy to help.