National Sales Director of the Factory Automation Division, FANUC America
Machine tools are among the most vital—and costly—pieces of equipment on most
shopfloors. As a significant capital investment, they must maintain their viable
for many years. The good news is that once it reaches its end of use, you
might be able to extend its life through a CNC retrofit by replacing its CNC,
servo and spindle systems. Assuming the machine tool is mechanically sound,
updating it with the latest CNC control technologies is often the most
cost-effective and economically sustainable solution to enhance its overall
performance.
The Benefits of CNC Retrofitting
Replacing an older control in CNC equipment allows you to avoid the high capital
expenditure of purchasing a new machine tool while maximizing productivity.
Here are several compelling reasons to retrofit your legacy equipment:
Cost savings: A retrofit will cost approximately one-third to
half the price of a new machine. Plus, with the additional cost savings from
reduced repairs, this can significantly lower your total cost of ownership.
Preventive maintenance: A CNC retrofit extends the operating
life of your machine tool by minimizing unplanned downtime due to failures as
well as improving reliability.
Higher performance: New CNCs offer advanced, fully digital
servo and spindle drives. These drives are highly integrated as a single
system for increased productivity.
Increased safety: Modern CNC systems include predictive,
preventive, diagnostic and troubleshooting functions. For instance, new
controls feature alert systems for process and downtime failures. Also,
software like FANUC’s Dual Check Safety is built-in to protect operators,
robots and tooling.
Superior connectivity: New CNCs support high-speed Ethernet,
enabling integration into IT networks. High-speed fiber optic communication
paths connect intelligent feedback devices and inter-process communication.
Forward-looking sustainability: Retrofitting helps extend the
life of existing machines, keeping them working for longer to support
sustainable practices and reduce unnecessary equipment waste.
Future-proof compatibility: Standardizing on a single CNC
brand optimizes operations. Operators can easily move between machines
controlled by the same platform without needing extensive training. Also, if
upgrading to robotic machine tending, a unified control platform can help
simplify integrating advanced automation.
Improved uptime: Advanced CNC technology and software reduce
mean time to repair and lower the risk of unplanned downtime.
Boosts production: New CNCs can reduce cycle times by as much
as 50 percent with features like block look-ahead, acceleration/deceleration
before and after interpolation, nano-interpolation, nano-smoothing and
automatic feedrate control.
Advanced machining functions: New CNC features, such as tool
center point control and 3D Error Compensation, make 5-axis workflow
as efficient as 3-axis with any adjustments made directly on the CNC.
Energy savings: New digital drives regenerate electrical
energy during the deceleration of the servo and spindle motors. Combined with
the low-loss power devices and efficient machining processes provided by the
CNC, electricity costs can be reduced by as much as 50 percent.
Final Thoughts
A CNC retrofit is a smart way to extend the life of legacy machine tools while
saving costs. Retrofitted machines are more efficient, reliable and easier to
maintain. Plus, you avoid the hassle of sourcing obsolete parts that are
increasingly difficult, and sometimes impossible, to find.
Interested in learning more? Visit FANUC’s CNC retrofitting webpage at
https://www.fanucamerica.com/solutions/industries/retrofitting