5 Best Micro-Stop Detection Software Tools (2026 Review)

"The line ran fine all day, but we missed our target by 15%."

This is the classic symptom of Micro-Stops.

A Micro-Stop (or "Minor Stop") is a stoppage that lasts less than 2 minutes. It’s too short for the operator to log in a book, and often too short for them to even notice. But if your line stops for 30 seconds every 5 minutes, you lose 10% of your capacity every shift.

Legacy OEE tools ignore these. They filter out "short stops" to clean up the data. This is a mistake. You cannot fix what you filter out.

In 2026, the best manufacturing software doesn't ignore micro-stops—it hunts them. It uses Video "Zoom-In" technology to show you exactly what caused the jam, the blockage, or the sensor fault.

Here are the 5 best tools to help you stop dying by a thousand cuts.

The Comparison Matrix (2026)

1. Fabrico: The "Instant Replay" for Manufacturing

Verdict: The best choice for factories that want to eliminate the "Unknown" downtime category using video evidence.

Fabrico is built on the philosophy that Visibility eliminates waste. For micro-stops, text data is useless. Knowing "Error 404" occurred 50 times doesn't help. Seeing a video of a bottle falling over 50 times does.

Why It Wins on Micro-Stops:

• Inefficiencies Zoom-In: Fabrico’s cameras buffer video 24/7. When the machine triggers a stop (even for 10 seconds), the system saves the clip. You can watch a montage of every micro-stop from the last shift in minutes.

• AI Pattern Recognition: The Fabrico Agent (AI) analyzes these clips and data points. It can tell you, "The wrapper stops for 20 seconds every time the label roll diameter drops below 10%."

• Automated Action: If a micro-stop becomes chronic (e.g., happens 10 times in an hour), Fabrico automatically triggers a Maintenance Task to inspect the sensor, preventing a major breakdown.

Best For: Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), Packaging, and Bottling lines.

2. Vorne XL: The "Down Time" Scoreboard

Verdict: The industry standard for capturing the count of micro-stops on high-speed lines.

Vorne’s XL hardware is legendary for its ability to count every single pulse. It excels at showing operators the sheer volume of stops.

Pros:

• Granularity: It captures stops as short as 1 second.

• Top Loss View: It instantly ranks your "Top 5 Loss Events," showing clearly that "Infeed Jam" is killing your shift.

Cons:

• No Video: It tells you that the Infeed jammed 50 times, but it can't show you why (e.g., was it a bent flap or a double feed?).

• Operator Dependency: For context, it relies on the operator scanning a barcode, which they won't do for a 30-second stop.

Best For: High-volume lines that need a "Scoreboard" focus.

3. MachineMetrics: The "Load" Analyzer

Verdict: The best for detecting micro-stops in precision machining (CNC) caused by tool stress.

In machining, a micro-stop might be the machine pausing to calculate a path or reacting to a dull tool. MachineMetrics sees this in the high-frequency data.

Pros:

• Load Monitoring: Detects if a cycle slowed down or paused due to spindle load limits.

• No Operator Input Needed: It pulls everything from the Fanuc/Haas controller.

Cons:

• Not for Assembly: Less effective on conveyor lines where the "stop" is mechanical (e.g., a box jam) rather than digital.

Best For: CNC Machine Shops.

4. Evocon: The "Cloud" Counter

Verdict: A simple, cloud-based OEE tool that is easy to deploy for basic stop counting.

Evocon uses a simple IIoT device to count pulses. It is great for getting a baseline of how many micro-stops you actually have.

Pros:

• Ease of Use: Very simple interface. Green is running, Red is stopped.

• Unlimited Users: easy to share reports with the whole team.

Cons:

• Shallow Data: It groups micro-stops well, but lacks the deep diagnostic tools (Video or AI) to help you solve them. It acts more like a report card than a diagnostic tool.

Best For: Small to mid-sized factories needing a quick OEE baseline.

5. LineView: The "Bottling" Specialist

Verdict: A powerful system designed specifically for the high-speed complexity of beverage lines.

LineView (and its "Focus" methodology) is built to analyze "Causal Loss" on lines running 60,000 bottles per hour.

Pros:

• V-Graph: Excellent visualization of flow and accumulation to find the bottleneck machine causing the stops.

• Industry Focus: Deep expertise in liquid filling and packaging.

Cons:

• Complexity: It is a heavy, expert-level system. It requires significant training to interpret the data.

• Cost: Enterprise pricing model.

Best For: Large Breweries and Soft Drink plants.

Conclusion: Catch the Small Stops Before They Become Big Losses

Micro-stops are the "termites" of manufacturing. They are small, numerous, and they eat your foundation.

• If you are in Beverage, look at LineView.

• If you are in Machining, look at MachineMetrics.

• If you need to See the Truth using Video to solve jams and sensor faults on any production line, Fabrico is the unified solution.