Collecting Data from a Lincoln Electric machine using MQTT

This guide explains how to connect Lincoln Electric welding machines to MachineMetrics using MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). It includes welder requirements, MQTT broker setup, MachineMetrics configuration, and verification steps.

⚠️ Setup and configuration of Lincoln Electric MQTT Publisher settings—including licensing, enabling MQTT output, and determining topic structure—are OEM-controlled (Original Equipment Manufacturer). This guide covers only how to connect an already-configured welder to MachineMetrics.

This integration enables automated weld telemetry such as current, voltage, wire speed, motor current, weld records, and summary metrics. It is intended for IT (Information Technology) administrators, site engineers, MachineMetrics deployment teams, and maintenance staff.

Feature Availability

How It Works

Lincoln Electric welders publish MQTT messages to an MQTT broker. MachineMetrics connects to this broker and subscribes to the welder’s topics.

[Lincoln Welder]
       → publishes →
[MQTT Broker]
       → subscribed by →
[MachineMetrics Edge Adapter]
       → MachineMetrics Cloud

⚠️ MachineMetrics is a read-only MQTT subscriber and does not send any commands or configuration changes back to the welder.

MachineMetrics supports two broker configurations:

• A MachineMetrics-hosted Mosquitto broker running on the MachineMetrics Edge device

• A customer-hosted MQTT broker

⚠️ Both the welder and the MachineMetrics Edge must be able to reach the same broker on TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) port 1883.

How to Add the Machine

Prerequisites

• Lincoln Electric welder with MQTT Publisher enabled

• Unique MQTT Client ID (identifier) for each welder

• MQTT broker reachable from both the welder and the Edge

• Topic schema provided by the customer or integrator

• Firewall rules allowing TCP port 1883

• If using an Edge-hosted broker: Docker access and stable Edge IP (Internet Protocol) address

Configure on the Machine (OEM Responsibility)

All welder setup is done in Lincoln Electric’s software.

1. Enable the MQTT Publisher.

2. Configure the broker address:

   mqtt://<broker_ip>:1883

3. Assign a unique MQTT Client ID.

4. Define topic structure, often:

   • lincoln/<serial>/#

   • lincoln/<cell>/<welder>/#

5. Restart the welder’s data service if required.

⚠️ Using duplicate MQTT Client IDs across multiple welders will cause connection drops, message collisions, and lost data.

Configure the MQTT Broker

Provide to MachineMetrics:

• Broker hostname/IP

• Port (default 1883)

• Username/password

• Required topic prefixes

• ACL (Access Control List) requirements

These values are used in the MachineMetrics adapter configuration.

Configure in MachineMetrics

Add a new MQTT data source in MachineMetrics Edge.

For MachineMetrics-hosted broker:

mqtt://customservices_mosquitto_1

For customer-hosted broker:

mqtt://<broker_ip>:1883

Topics to subscribe to:

topics:
  - "lincoln/#"

⚠️ No adapter scripting is required. MachineMetrics automatically maps all MQTT payload fields into the Lincoln Electric data model.

During discovery, the adapter lists serial numbers found in incoming messages. Assign each serial number to the correct machine.

Verification & Testing

To directly test the broker:

mosquitto_sub -h <broker_ip> -t "lincoln/#" -v

On the MachineMetrics Edge device:

• The MQTT adapter should show Connected

• Logs should show continuous MQTT messages

• No repeated disconnections should occur

In MachineMetrics Cloud:

• Live weld telemetry should update

• Weld values should change during machine activity

• Summary metrics should appear for completed welds

⚠️ If timestamps do not update, verify that the welder is publishing to the expected topics and that the broker address is correct.

Troubleshooting

⚠️ Do not use Wi-Fi for production welding telemetry. Wireless instability will cause inconsistent weld data.

Tips & Best Practices

• Use the Edge-hosted Mosquitto broker whenever possible

• Maintain unique Client IDs for every welder

• Document topic schema for support and scaling

• Use secure passwords and ACLs on the broker

• Validate network routing before commissioning

• Keep MachineMetrics Edge firmware updated

Related Articles

• Adding a New Machine to Your Account

• Connecting Your Machines Using MQTT

• Edge Device: Security and Firewall Requirements

• Edge Device and Network Diagrams