Device for coupling a machine, in particular a machine tool, having a number N of data sources (31 - 33) for providing data of the machine in data-source-specific data formats to a plurality of applications (41 - 43), comprising: a transformation unit configured to transform data of one of the N data sources (31 - 33) present in one of the data-source-specific data formats into data of a generic semantic data model for the applications (41 - 43) and/or to transform data of one of the applications (41 - 43) present in the generic semantic data model into data of one of the data-source-specific data formats for one of the N data sources (31 - 33), wherein the transformation unit has a first transformation means and a second transformation means, wherein the first transformation means is configured to transform the data present in one of the data-source-specific data formats into data of a data-source-specific semantic data model, and wherein the second transformation means is configured to transform the data of the data-source-specific semantic data model into the data of the generic semantic data model, and the transformation unit has a third transformation means and a fourth transformation means, wherein the third transformation means is configured to transform the data of the generic semantic data model from one of the applications (41 - 43) into data of one of the data-source-specific semantic data models for one of the N data sources (31 - 33), and wherein the fourth transformation means is configured to transform the data of the data-source-specific semantic data model into data of the data-source-specific data format of the data source (31 - 33), wherein the second transformation means is configured to transform the data of the data-source-specific semantic data model into the data of the generic semantic data model by means of a semantic mapping, and wherein the third transformation means is configured to transform the data of the generic semantic data model from one of the applications (41 - 43) into the data of one of the data-source-specific semantic data models for one of the N data sources (31 - 33) by means of an inverse semantic mapping, wherein the semantic mapping comprises mapping rules for linking the generic semantic data model to data-source-specific semantic data models, wherein a logic of the link is an inheritance on the concept level, an inheritance on the relation level or an invertible mathematical function, wherein the respective data-source-specific semantic data model is a data model for semantically describing the concepts, relations and properties of data that are provided by the respective data source, wherein the generic semantic data model comprises entities concerning the machine, properties of the entities and/or relationships between two or more of the entities. a transformation unit configured to transform data of one of the N data sources (31 - 33) present in one of the data-source-specific data formats into data of a generic semantic data model for the applications (41 - 43) and/or to transform data of one of the applications (41 - 43) present in the generic semantic data model into data of one of the data-source-specific data formats for one of the N data sources (31 - 33), wherein the transformation unit has a first transformation means and a second transformation means, wherein the first transformation means is configured to transform the data present in one of the data-source-specific data formats into data of a data-source-specific semantic data model, and wherein the second transformation means is configured to transform the data of the data-source-specific semantic data model into the data of the generic semantic data model, and the transformation unit has a third transformation means and a fourth transformation means, wherein the third transformation means is configured to transform the data of the generic semantic data model from one of the applications (41 - 43) into data of one of the data-source-specific semantic data models for one of the N data sources (31 - 33), and wherein the fourth transformation means is configured to transform the data of the data-source-specific semantic data model into data of the data-source-specific data format of the data source (31 - 33), wherein the second transformation means is configured to transform the data of the data-source-specific semantic data model into the data of the generic semantic data model by means of a semantic mapping, and wherein the third transformation means is configured to transform the data of the generic semantic data model from one of the applications (41 - 43) into the data of one of the data-source-specific semantic data models for one of the N data sources (31 - 33) by means of an inverse semantic mapping, wherein the semantic mapping comprises mapping rules for linking the generic semantic data model to data-source-specific semantic data models, wherein a logic of the link is an inheritance on the concept level, an inheritance on the relation level or an invertible mathematical function, wherein the respective data-source-specific semantic data model is a data model for semantically describing the concepts, relations and properties of data that are provided by the respective data source, wherein the generic semantic data model comprises entities concerning the machine, properties of the entities and/or relationships between two or more of the entities.