Machine retrofit: before – after

Machine Retrofit

With Machine Retrofit, Siemens offers machine modernization in which the individual components are modernized and the machine is upgraded to the latest state of the art.

Maintaining efficient productivity

After a machine tool has been in operation for 10 or more years, the condition of its mechanical components is generally still good. In the intervening period, however, there will also have been continuous advances in control and drive engineering – with the development of new functions that allow more precise machining and more energy-efficient, cost-effective production. Retrofits, i.e. the exchange of old for new, offer a means by which innovations of this kind can be exploited for older machines. The secret to a successful retrofit, however, is not just to replace engineering hardware, but to utilize the many benefits offered by modern control and drive systems in order to create new business opportunities for the machine owner. The primary objective in this regard is to find a drive and/or control system retrofit solution that can be perfectly integrated into the existing machine concept. The owner then gets to keep the machine that he trusts – after it has been upgraded to state of the art – but doesn’t need to purchase a completely new unit.

Creating planning reliability

From the viewpoint of machine tool owners, it is not only the new potential offered by modern control systems that matters but, more importantly, it is the certainty that an investment in a modernization or upgrade is also an investment in the long-term productivity of the business. This refers in particular to spare parts availability. Spare parts for modern components will naturally remain available for longer into the future than parts for older components. This dilemma can be best illustrated by electronic components containing integrated circuits that are continuing to undergo rapid development and will be replaced by the next generation within a few years.

Higher performance and greater flexibility

The retrofit offering is in no way restricted to the use of the latest SINUMERIK CNCs, SINAMICS drive systems and SIMOTICS motors, but can be expanded by additional services to ensure that the benefits of modernization are fully exploited. These include, for example, a significant boost to quality and flexibility thanks to the performance of state-of-the-art components, supported by geometric measurement and compensation of dimensional deviations on large machines. Or greater transparency in production planning through use of Siemens PLM software such as NX-CAD/CAM or Teamcenter and SINUMERIK Integrate for production with Manage MyTools and Manage MyPrograms with which tools and CNC programs can be managed and optimally integrated into the production process.

Training courses, repair or service contracts and the implementation of existing CNC part programs contribute as much to ensuring effective exploitation of benefits as precise planning and careful preparation of the retrofit by the skilled service engineers employed by Siemens.