A method for anomaly detection in a cutting machine with a spindle that is driven by an electric motor, wherein the method includes determining an electric power consumption of the motor during a working cycle of the machine, dividing the working cycle into time windows, determining, for each time window, whether the spindle was cutting and/or idling based on associated electric power values, determining median and expected deviation of electric power values for cutting and idling operation over the sequence of time windows, and determining an anomaly if electric power values during cutting or idling exceed a predetermined relationship to the corresponding median and expected deviation values.