Machinery Retrofitting: Upgrade, Don’t Scrap
Retrofitting is a great way to extend the service life of machines, tools, and equipment in aftersales and service. In this latest edition of our blog, we look at the advantages that come with an upgrade and the impact this has on technical documentation.
What is a machine retrofit?
Retrofitting a machine doesn’t just mean refurbishing it (i.e., replacing wear parts), but also modernizing it. Rather than returning it to its original, as-new condition, the goal is to create a more modern version of the existing machine. This gives the machine a new lease on life while updating it to the state of the art.
Retrofitting ensures that the existing system components satisfy new legal requirements, are up to Industry 4.0 standard, and are easier to integrate in the operator’s IT environment. And a retrofit always involves changes to the machine that require technical documentation.
What exactly does a machine retrofit involve?
Industrial machines get used for many years or even decades and might put in a good performance for a long time. But their functions can still become obsolete due to developments such as digitalization and artificial intelligence, which are leading to ever-shorter innovation cycles.
In most cases, an update will be more cost-efficient and sustainable than buying a new machine. Especially with custom machines that require considerable time and effort to engineer, retrofitting is a much more sensible option.
Upgrading and modernizing machines involves a number of aspects:
- Giving the machine a digital retrofit by integrating a new Industry 4.0-grade control system
- Installing energy-saving drives to notch up efficiency and productivity
- Replacing assemblies where spare parts are no longer available
- Automating the machine by installing new functions
What are the advantages of retrofitting existing machines?
- Enhanced efficiency and productivity: A retrofit lets you get more out of existing machines.
- Cost savings: Retrofitting a machine costs less than building a new one from the bottom up.
- Sustainability: Old machines and components get a new lease on life instead of being sent to the scrap heap, which conserves resources.
- Legal conformity: A retrofit ensures that a machine’s components satisfy the latest legal requirements.
- Less training required: Machine operators don’t need as much training as they would with a new machine, as they are already familiar with the basic functionality.
- Ready for Industry 4.0: One advantage of a digital retrofit is that existing equipment and plants can be monitored more effectively. When combined with predictive maintenance, this maximizes the efficiency of maintenance and repairs.
- IT integration: Retrofitting brings existing systems up to speed so they are ready for integration in the operator’s IT environment.
- Compatibility: In most cases, a revamped machine can be integrated into existing systems without elaborate conversions.
What challenges do retrofits pose for machine manufacturers?
Retrofitting also offers machines manufacturers advantages such as an additional stream of aftersales revenue and long-term customer relationships. But revamping machines can also involve significant changes in their functionality, which lead to new obligations for operators.
Legal factors to consider with a retrofit
The manufacturer has to take into account legal requirements affecting a machine’s functional safety, for example. As such, retrofitting may mean that a machine is suddenly subject to the Machinery Directive, which isn’t generally the case with used models. However, a machine retrofit can result in safety-relevant modifications that require the risk hazard to be reassessed. A new conformity procedure may therefore be required after an update so the CE marking can be reissued.
Manual and spare parts catalog
A further challenge has to do with internal processes in aftersales, service, and technical documentation. Retrofitting always involves changes to the machine that require documentation. In addition to the operating manual, there will be changes in the machine’s parts list and thus the list of suitable spare parts, meaning new spare parts have to be used for repairs. Service technicians on both the manufacturer and operator side need up-to-date spare parts lists and technical documentation to ensure they can service retrofit machines safely and reliably.
Solution: Use a digital twin to document changes during retrofits
Digital twins are an effective way of documenting all the changes that are made during a retrofit. New manuals and amended service documents can be centrally organized and easily updated using a digital information twin—as can spare parts catalogs for retrofitted machines.
Quanos InfoTwin is the answer for all machine manufacturers who want their machine information to be seamlessly interconnected and are looking for a transparent way of mapping their retrofit projects. This solution intelligently links service and spare parts information with the technical documentation, so that any changes made to equipment, machines, and systems are available to the user at all times. This makes work easier for both the manufacturer's and the operator's technicians and lays the groundwork for setting up other solutions such as aftersales portals.
Retrofitting: An update for machines and their documentation
A retrofit project is a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to buying a new machine. Tried-and-tested machines are updated to the latest state of the art and equipped with modern control systems to leave them fully compatible with the digital world.
Expert insights into technology and legal requirements are crucial to the project’s success, and the machine manufacturer’s aftersales department plays a key role in this. When you use Quanos InfoTwin, you can be confident that not only the machine itself but also the related documents and spare parts information are all up to date. For more information on retrofitting and digital twins, please contact the experts at Quanos.
