# Sites & machines

When starting to work with ENLYZE one of the first challenges is deciding how to model your production inside our system. This page helps you to get familiar with the ways we can structure your data at ENLYZE and decide which one suits you best.

## Understanding the data hierarchy: Sites, Machines and Data Sources

### 1. Site

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A **Site** in ENLYZE is the top-level grouping of your production environment. It can represent:

* A physical production plant
* An individual factory
* A sector or department within a larger facility

**Why it's important**:\
Sites allow you to isolate and manage data based on physical or logical production zones. Each site is clearly separated within the ENLYZE App, enabling you to focus on the performance of a specific area.
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<figure><img src="https://4261006941-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FSNEuiyRRKwuqtIcaEt45%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-b915d2d0eac4a9aba51e690888694e995dd7ed1a%2Fmodel-site-selector-01.gif?alt=media" alt="" width="142"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
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Our [Edge Device](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/connect/edge-device) can only belong to one site. If you want to organize your production into separate sites, you need at least one edge device for each site and make sure the machine PLCs for that site are reachable by the corresponding edge device.
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### 2. Machine

Within each site, we define one or more **Machines**. In ENLYZE, a *machine* can mean:

* A single physical machine
* A logical representation of multiple physical machines (e.g., a production line)
* Peripheral equipment that does not serve a production purpose but influences the production (e.g., an energy meter for the whole shop floor or sensors that measure air temperature and humidity)

**Use cases**:

* If your production is organized along lines (e.g., filling → labeling → packaging), each step can be modeled as a separate machine.
* Alternatively, you can model the entire line as one machine if your tracking and reporting are done at the line level.

**Machine-level insights**:

* **OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)** is calculated per machine.
* **Downtimes** are recorded and categorized at the machine level.
* **Production runs** are also mapped to machines, which allows for precise tracking of what was produced where and when.

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In production lines where the production steps are separated into multiple machines, you can assign production runs to just one representative machine in the line.
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### 3. Data Source

A [**Data Source**](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/model/data-sources) represents the raw source of data – typically a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) – that feeds operational data into ENLYZE.

**Key characteristics:**

* A **machine can have multiple data sources** (e.g., multiple PLCs controlling different parts of the process).
* Data sources are used to retrieve variables such as temperatures, speeds, and counters.

**Digital Clones**:\
ENLYZE supports **digital clones** of PLCs as long as the connection type allows for parallel readouts. This is especially useful when:

* One PLC contains variables for multiple machines.
* You want to assign a subset of variables to different machines for cleaner tracking and reporting.

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Keep in mind that the feasibility of cloning PLCs has to be evaluated on an individual customer basis and is not always possible.
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***

## Example 1: Line as a Single Machine

#### **Scenario**

You operate a plastic extrusion line with the following components:

* Extruder
* Calibrator
* Haul-Off
* Cutter

These components **always run together** as a tightly integrated unit, and you **track performance at the line level** rather than per station.

#### **ENLYZE Modeling**

* **Site**: “Main Extrusion Plant”
* **Machine**: “Extrusion Line 1”
* **Data Sources**: Multiple PLCs (e.g., one for extruder, one for haul-off & calibrator, one for cutter), all linked to the single machine
* **Production Runs**: Assigned directly to “Extrusion Line 1”

**Benefits:**

* Simplified tracking
* Aligned with business logic when line performance is assessed as a whole
* Easier to attribute OEE losses holistically

## Example 2: Line Split into Multiple Machines

#### **Scenario**

Your extrusion line consists of the same four components, but:

* Downtimes are often isolated (e.g., the cutter stops while the extruder continues producing scrap)
* You want to **optimize individual steps** in the process (e.g., reducing calibration time or haul-off slippage)

#### **ENLYZE Modeling**

* **Site**: “Main Extrusion Plant”
* **Machines**:
  * “Extruder”
  * “Calibrator”
  * “Haul-Off”
  * “Cutter”
* **Data Sources**:
  * Each PLC is linked to its corresponding machine (or cloned if needed)
* **Production Runs**: Mapped to one designated machine (e.g., the extruder), while others are auxiliary

**Benefits:**

* More granular visibility into weak points
* Enables station-specific optimizations
* Useful when partial line stoppages are frequent

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**Still unsure what's the best way to model your production?**\
Don't hesitate to contact your ENLYZE Representative and we will be happy to discuss your specific case.
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