How to Retrofit A Machine?

How to retrofit a machine? Basically, to retrofit or to upgrade a machine you need to remove the old control components especially the machine controller, motor driver, motor of each axis, the lead screws for manual machine, lubrication system if necessary, and the electrical cabinet if necessary. In fact, to retrofit a machine can be divided into two main categories, to retrofit the manual machine and to retrofit the old CNC machine.

A. Retrofit The Manual Machine

These are the components need to replace or need to add in order to retrofit the manual machine:

1. The old controller need to be replaced with CNC controller
2. Motor driver need to replace with servo drive
3. Motor of each axis (X, Y & Z) need to be changed with servo motors
4. Lead screws will be replaced with precision ballscrews
5. Manual lubrication system need to change with auto lubrication system
6. If the machine not equipped with coolant system then coolant system need to add
7. The electrical cabinet might need to be changed if necessary
8. Change the power supply with transformer for bigger KVA or with other power supply
9. Retain the original ELCB, MCB, contactors, terminal block and fuses if possible
10. Inverter need to be added to control the spindle motor if necessary
11. Retain the light system if necessary
12. The machine and electrical cabinet need to re-wiring
13. Repaint the machine if necessary (optional)


Precision Ballscrew


B. Retrofit The CNC Old Machine

These are the components need to replace or need to add in order to retrofit the old CNC machine:

1. Old CNC controller need to change with new CNC controller
2. Servo drive need to change with the new servo drive
3. Servo motor for X, Y and Z axis need to change with new servo motors
4. The PLC need to add if the servo drive doest not have enough I/O
5. Retain the Inverter for spindle motor if possible
6. Retain the electrical cabinet if possible
7. Retain the transformer or power supply if possible
8. Retain the original ELCB, MCB, contactors, terminal block and fuses if possible
9. Retain the precision ball screw if possible
10. Retain the lubrication system, coolant system and hydraulic system if possible
11. Retain the light system if possible
12. Re-wiring the machine and electrical cabinet
13. The spindle motor can be change if need more RPM (optional) - costly
14. Repaint the machine (optional)


Emerson Inverter for Machine Retrofit

What is CNC Retrofit?

What is CNC retrofit? The CNC retrofit is machine rebuilding, upgrade or giving new life to the old machines whether the old cnc machines, the old manual machines or the unused machines. Machine retrofit is important especially to those machines facing high downtime due to a poor machine performance and the machine are getting too old and breakdown become more frequently. In fact, certain cases the CNC retrofitting will also take place due to limited capability of the machines especially the manual machines.

Downtime will cause a lot of delay in the work flow and it will cause a lot of headaches for a lot of people. Any downtime will cause serious losses and will cause huge loss of revenues as well. Certain machines could have excessive downtime due to a high frequency of maintenance, which may support the decisions to upgrade or retrofit ineffective machine that continues to adversely affect the bottom line and make the production more costly. Sometimes downtime occurred due to improper maintenance, low lubricant levels, high operating temperatures and other factors.

CNC retrofitting will be done by converting the manual machine into CNC machine or by replacing existing CNC controller with a new more flexible, and powerful latest generation CNC controller to increase the machines machining capabilities with the most cost effective way to suit your needs. Cost effective retrofit that help you to maximize your productivity. The retrofit provides superior machining capability for much less than the purchase price of a brand new machine.

The retrofit possible benefits include:

* Improve the machine flexibility up to 5 axis or more
* Improve machine accuracy and grad of machining
* Easy and flexibly parts programming and machining
* Equipped with USB port, RS323 port and Local Area Networking (LAN)
* Easy to edit, modify, download and upload programming file
* Reduce machine downtime and maintenance cost
* Easy machine trouble shooting
* Reduce parts damage and scrap
* Link the CNC controller with the computer network
* Increase the workers confident level and moral
* Easy to automate the retrofitted machine with the production line

Machines are suitable to retrofit included:

1. Milling machines
* Knee mill, bed mill or ram mill type
* Vertical machining center or horizontal machining center
2. Lathe machines
* Manual lathe machine
* Horizontal tuning center or vertical tuning center
3. Router machines and
4. Water jet cutting machines
5. Other machines