The Smart Choice?
2-3 Minute Read ⏱ Categories: Material Handling, Project Management
Good Machines Gone Bad
As equipment and items get old, their performance and capabilities begin to decrease. This is true for everyday items like phones, electronics, appliances, and various tools we use frequently.
At this point we’re left with two choices, buy a new one or repair the old one. For most people, buying the newest version will be the most convenient choice for the price and quality. On the other hand, repairing the broken piece may last for a bit longer. But these are products that are assumed to not have an extensive lifespan anyways. But when it comes to conveyor systems (which already have a large potential lifespan), repairing them may not be the worst idea.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the topic of retrofitting your current conveyor system. We’ll walk through what exactly it means to retrofit a piece of equipment and how it relates to the manufacturing industry. This includes listing the parts that are common for retrofitting and the benefits that they bring. Finally, we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of how retrofitting can affect your company’s performance.
What Is Retrofitting?
Retrofitting is the process of upgrading a current piece of equipment with recently made parts. By doing this, you’re able to keep the machine you have in place and receive the benefits of newer parts. This can help you reduce the usual upfront cost of buying an entirely new conveyor. So, what parts can be replaced in your current system. Here are some of the items that we see that end up being replaced:
- Rollers
- Bearing
- Belts
- Frame reinforcement
Although these parts are very small in the total of the entire machine, even just replacing the smallest parts can make the biggest impact.
This concept of retrofitting isn’t just exclusive to the manufacturing industry. There are several other types of businesses that upgrade their equipment like this. Pharmaceutical, agricultural, construction, and the food industry use this method to further increase the life of their machines. A more personal example of this is replacing car parts in an old vehicle. You may not want to give the money for an entirely new car, so you buy replacement parts to further extend its use.
Advantages and Disadvantages
As we’ve shown, retrofitting is a common staple for many different companies, but does it actually help? Here we’ll list both the positives and negatives that come with this. Seeing both the advantages and disadvantages allows you to make the most informed decision. Below is a table showing the two sides of the story:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Lower initial investment | Compatibility issues |
| Improved performance | Uncertain final cost |
| Increased safety | Risk of investing twice |
| Better monitoring | Training requirements |
| Reduced waste | Limited remaining service |
How Russell Conveyor Can Help?
Not every solution is going to be what you’re looking for. Russell Conveyor can help you through this process. Our team has over 20 years of experience and has worked with hundreds of differing systems. We were founded on the principle of making sure that we find the exact solution to your current problem at hand. Stop waiting for tomorrow to solve issues when Russell Conveyor can help you resolve them today.
Contact us now at (336) 526-3014 or sales@russellconveyor.com to get your free quote now!
Interested in our other services, read this blog on the Russell+ preventive maintenance subscription.
Curious about our product variety, check the conveyor systems page for more information.
FAQs about Retrofitting
Have any questions about retrofitting? Here we’ve answered some of the most common questions below.
It can take days or months depending on the size of the project, the parts, or the engineers involved in the process.
Yes. By changing the parts, there’s a less likely chance of emergency stops, complete failures, or mechanical issues.
Yes. Newer parts often require less energy due to modernized technology and equipment.
When it becomes more costly to retrofit or current equipment is beyond repair, it may be time think about a full replacement.
To some degree, yes. The machine you are repairing must be shut down while engineers begin their work.