Method for transmitting machine information of an industrial plant, having the following steps: a) acquiring machine information of the industrial plant by at least one sensor over a defined recording period, b) transmitting the machine information as machine data to a data transmission device arranged on the industrial plant, c) storing the machine data in a memory assigned to the data transmission device, d) continuously comparing the transmitted machine data with specification machine data which are stored in a database, and determining a machine fault if the machine data lie outside a range defined by the specification machine data, e) creating an error code for the determined machine fault, which error code contains identification information of the industrial plant, f) assigning the error code to the machine data determined in the defined recording period, g) displaying at least some of the machine data on a screen for an operator and/or displaying at least some of the error code on a screen for an operator, h) transmitting the error code and the machine data determined in the defined recording period assigned to the error code to a service facility which is locally remote from the industrial plant, characterized in that the transmission is initiated by actuating a trigger of the data transmission device by the operator or a second operator, and in that the recording period ends with the determination of the machine fault and extends back by a defined maximum time period or is a time period between the occurrence of a defined event and the determination of the machine fault, wherein the defined event is an earlier maintenance date, a change in an operating parameter or a previous determination of a machine fault. a) acquiring machine information of the industrial plant by at least one sensor over a defined recording period, b) transmitting the machine information as machine data to a data transmission device arranged on the industrial plant, c) storing the machine data in a memory assigned to the data transmission device, d) continuously comparing the transmitted machine data with specification machine data which are stored in a database, and determining a machine fault if the machine data lie outside a range defined by the specification machine data, e) creating an error code for the determined machine fault, which error code contains identification information of the industrial plant, f) assigning the error code to the machine data determined in the defined recording period, g) displaying at least some of the machine data on a screen for an operator and/or displaying at least some of the error code on a screen for an operator, h) transmitting the error code and the machine data determined in the defined recording period assigned to the error code to a service facility which is locally remote from the industrial plant, characterized in that the transmission is initiated by actuating a trigger of the data transmission device by the operator or a second operator, and in that the recording period ends with the determination of the machine fault and extends back by a defined maximum time period or is a time period between the occurrence of a defined event and the determination of the machine fault, wherein the defined event is an earlier maintenance date, a change in an operating parameter or a previous determination of a machine fault.