The CNC Retrofit Advantage Without question, machine tools are among the most vital and costly pieces of equipment on the production floor. For most companies, they represent significant capital investments and therefore must maintain their viability for many years. Upgrading to the latest control technologies with a CNC Retrofit is one way companies are successfully extending the productive life of their machine tools. There are key factors to consider before implementing a CNC Retrofit project. Additionally, it is important to quantify the value of this important decision before moving forward. Retrofitting is the process of replacing the CNC, servo and spindle systems on an otherwise mechanically sound machine tool to extend it’s useful life. Rebuilding and re-manufacturing typically include a CNC Retrofit. The anticipated benefits include a lower cost investment than purchasing a new machine and an improvement in uptime and availability. But there are often other unanticipated benefits to Retrofitting including lower energy costs, higher performance, a new level of manufacturing data accessibility and better processes. Manufacturing requirements have dramatically changed in the past two decades, and many new features are now available to support Lean Manufacturing. PicroSync offers the complete Retrofit Solution with our expertise and experience . We ensure that the scope of work and feature content is clearly defined. Justifying the Retrofit investment is similar to any other kind of investment. Considering all the financial costs and benefits allows you to calculate a Return on Investment (ROI) for comparison with other investment opportunities. By considering all the financial and non-financial benefits associated with the project, you will be able to decide if the Retrofit makes financial sense for your business. What is a CNC Retrofit ? A CNC Retrofit typically upgrades the CNC, axes servo motors and drives, spindle motor and drives, and a portion of the associated wiring and related electro-mechanical components. Unlike rebuilding and re-manufacturing, a CNC Retrofit does not include any major repairs to the machine mechanics. A CNC Retrofit should not be confused with a CNC conversion, where a manual machine is converted into a CNC machine. Assuming the machine tool is in generally good shape mechanically, CNC Retrofitting is typically the lowest cost solution to improve the overall performance of an older machine tool. Though some electrical sub-assembly is often performed at the Retrofitter’s business location, most of the work can be completed at the machine site, avoiding costly machine rigging and transportation costs, thus minimizing the time that the machine is out of commission. Rebuilding typically includes the repair or replacement of some worn mechanical components such as ball screws, lubrication pumps, safety interlocks, guards, hoses, belts and electrical wiring. The rebuild is typically performed at the rebuilder’s facility, so there may be additional transportation and rigging costs. Re-manufacturing goes a step further to repair or replace mechanical components to the original, as-new factory specification or better. It is likely that the machine will be completely disassembled, cleaned, inspected, repaired and painted. All pneumatic, hydraulic and electrical systems will be updated. The machine may also be modified or have mechanical accessories added to re-purpose it for a new application. Practically without exception, re-manufacturing will take place at the re-manufacturer’s site. Deciding to Retrofit, rebuild or re-manufacture depends on the current condition of the machine and the anticipated benefits from the investment. Reviewing maintenance records and part yield statistics may help one understand the state of the machine’s mechanical systems. Our PicroSync Technicians will also be able to evaluate the current condition of the machine and recommend the appropriate solution. Benefits of a CNC Retrofit There has been advances in machine tool and CNC technologies in the past 20 years. While not all of the technology advances will be relevant to every machine application, most companies can take advantage of improved performance, reliability and some of the innovative features. In some cases, machines are are not widely manufactured today, and so cannot be replaced with a new machine also taking into consideration the purchase price. Since these machines are typically mission critical, they are generally well maintained mechanically. Meantime between failure (MTBF) and meantime to repair (MTTR) issues tend to be driven by their ageing electronics, so a CNC Retrofit can deliver significant benefits. • Lower Costs A Retrofit, rebuild or re-manufacture will cost significantly less than the cost of purchasing a new machine. It is important to recognize not only the differences in purchasing price, but also the additional costs of any new tooling requirements, transportation and rigging, modifications or replacement of special foundations, modification of past programs and processes, and the associated training for the operators and maintenance personnel. A machine that is mission critical or is a bottleneck process, may have huge customer satisfaction and cost impacts if loss from production occurs for any extended period. So when compared with doing nothing and continuing to accept the current availability and performance of an older machine tool, a CNC Retrofit can quickly pay for itself. A Retrofit control will significantly reduce CNC maintenance costs. Not only will the Retrofit systems be more reliable because it is new, but it will be built with substantially more reliable components. • Energy Savings Studies have shown that approximately 20% of machine running costs can be attributed to electrical energy consumption, primarily for hydraulic and pneumatic pumps, and the servo and spindle drive systems. When decelerating the axes and spindles during normal operation, older drive systems redirect energy into re-generation resistors, simply burning away expensive electricity. Current digital drives incorporate advanced electronics that reclaim electrical energy back into the line when decelerating the servo and spindle motors. When combined with the more efficient machining processes provided by the CNC, machine electricity costs can be reduced by as much as 30% - 50%. This easily justifies the investment in the new servo and spindle drive technology during a Retrofit. • Performance When considering a CNC Retrofit, it is important to realize that a significant portion of the benefits will actually be delivered by upgrading the servo and spindle system to a high-speed digital interface. It does not matter how fast the CNC can process blocks of part program data if the servo and spindle systems cannot keep up. The CNC servo and spindle systems integrated in an older machine tool typically communicate using an analogue interface. The CNC commands the desired velocity of the motor, while low resolution, analogue or digital feedback devices tell the CNC where the axes are currently positioned. Simple I/O points are used to enable and disable the drive systems and to report on any drive or motor failures. The modern CNC and the digital servo and spindle drives are so highly integrated it is best to consider them as a single system. The tight integration of today’s CNC and digital drive systems provide advanced servo tuning application built right into the control that makes standard servo tuning practically automatic. Predictive and preventative maintenance and diagnostic systems have also advanced. Everything from motor temperature to position deviation can be displayed on the CNC. The speed of servo and spindle motor and drive fans are monitored to detect dirt ingress or potential failure. The insulation resistances or servo motors are measured to detect cutting fluid infiltration. Precise warning messages are displayed on the CNC for each specific potential problem prior to failure, preventing unexpected machine downtime.