CNC retrofitting

For outdated CNC machines, updating to a newer control can add capabilities that the standard control was lacking.

For older machines that have mechanical wear, restoration to OEM Spec gives the machine better reliability and new life.

CNC retrofitting involves upgrading controls, replacing electronics, wiring, servos, and drives. CNC retrofitting is normally provided for machines that are still mechanically sound but have outdated or defective CNC or a manual machine that needs to be automated.

Intel co-founder Gordon Moore predicted that the state of the art in computer processing power will double every 18 months. This is now referred to as Moore's Law. CNC retrofitting can now be utilized to mesh the gap between machine and control.

This pace of development affects computers of all types. But it is particularly striking on the floor of a machine shop. Here, evolving computer numerical controls (CNCs) meet machine tools whose structures have changed little since before these controls were introduced. The uneven rate of change often means that the machine tool remains mechanically sound and serviceable long after its control has been replaced by a newer released model. As a result, some shops find themselves saddled with inoperative machines, because the cnc is obsolete and replacement components can no longer be found. Still more shops use CNC machines which could be utilized more effectively if only the controls had access to the power and features of more recently developed models. One option is to buy an entirely new machine with a brand new control, and scrap the old machine entirely. However, another option is to retain the mechanical structure, and retrofit a replacement CNC.