Revamping as a sustainable solution in the Industry 4.0 system

The TFS case study: rubber co-moulding presses

As mentioned in a previous article on our blog, the technological revolution known as Industry 4.0 has led many companies to rethink their business models. The numerous transformation processes triggered by digital automation have fostered the spread of organisational and operational models in which the information generated is sent, collected, contextualised and shared in real time.

The interconnectivity required by operators across various economic sectors, particularly regarding hydraulic systems, has for at least 10 years highlighted the need to implement solutions capable of combining:

• flexible, tailor-made solutions for the company;
• the pursuit of efficiency, without the risk of obsolescence;
• a sustainable return on investment, given ever-shorter payback periods.

Consequently, the decision-making dilemma facing many companies centres on the trade-off between allocating financial resources to purchase new systems, versus the option of revamping – that is, upgrading and maintaining existing industrial machinery and systems that still have a sufficient service life to maintain an optimal level of productivity.

Revamping

Leaving aside the rationale for investing in innovation projects based on the acquisition of new equipment, revamping can prove to be an optimal and recommended solution when spare parts for installed PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) or SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems have become unavailable or are subject to a premium price due to scarcity.

The attached photos show the revamping work carried out by TFS on a rubber co-moulding press. Specifically, the previous Siemens S5 PLC has been replaced by a Siemens S7 microprocessor, Model 1200, whilst retaining the machine’s intended use and its original physical structure.

Such measures are recommended whenever one or more of the following situations arise:

• Business and production monitoring requires real-time data and data aggregation from machines and systems;
• The time spent on planned maintenance is increasing exponentially;
• Breakdowns and the resulting machine downtime are frequent and increasingly difficult for the in-house maintenance team to manage;
• The software implemented on PLCs or SCADA systems is end-of-life and no longer supported;
• Production and set-up times do not allow for adequate production.