Extending the life of your production line: to modify or not

Of course, every production company wants an optimal production process, in which the capacity is used to the maximum with minimal costs. Logically, therefore, careful thought is given to the current state of the machine park and its future. And obviously, no production company wants the production line to come to an unexpected (long-term) standstill.

Planning ahead is therefore extremely important: "Can the production line continue to produce reliably in the coming years, or do we have to convert, or perhaps even renovate it?".

In this blog, you can read why – from an electronics point of view – extending the life of machines without modifications may be a much better choice for you than modifying existing machines.

LIE: Continuing with an outdated production line is looking for trouble.

It is true that production lines do not have an indefinite life. But continuing to run with a somewhat outdated production line or machine does not have to be secondary to renewing this production line/machine. In fact, we see plenty of examples of new machines that – especially in the initial phase – perform less well than previously anticipated.

An efficient and optimal production process does not always have to be achieved with renewed or modified machines. There are plenty of situations where continuing to run with the current machinery is (economically) a much wiser choice.

Your defective part is obsolete: what to do now?

Sadly, this happens all too often: Despite the scheduled regular maintenance of the technical service, machinery breaks down due to defective electronics. This is not a major issue if it concerns a part that is still supported by the producer.

But what if the part is obsolete and so it’s no longer supported? Are you left only with the option to have the module repaired? A logical question which is often answered with: 'Yes, then repairing is your only option'.

The result? Faced with the risk of downtime, production companies opt for a modification of their process control, or sometimes even replace an entire line. A substantial investment that is sometimes not necessary at all, or can be postponed for a considerable time, thus saving a lot of money.

The refurbished electronics market can offer a solution more often than most production companies think. But the parts must then of course be available when they’re really needed. It is therefore extremely important to plan ahead beforehand, and that you know exactly which modules are in which control cabinets.

When the mechanical life exceeds the life of electronics

This happens quite often: The mechanical life of a machine or production line is longer than the life of the electronics of that same machine or production line. Suppose the mechanical lifespan is 25 years, while the electronics have a lifespan of 20 years.

Will it then be sensible to modify the machine for the last 5 years of its mechanical life, or can it also be run with the current electronics? Many manufacturing companies are not aware that extending the service life without modification is also a very realistic option.

Digitization as a driver for innovation

If digitization is the most important pillar, continuing with the production line without modification does not seem quite that obvious. Newer control modules are easier to include in the transition than existing modules. However, digitization with the existing modules is also possible.

For instance, we offer an IoT kit that you can add (brand-independent) to machines or production lines to log power consumption, temperatures and vibrations, among other things.

Extending life without modifications can be up to 60% cheaper than modifying

In many cases, you do have a choice if your production line is (partly) outdated. This was also the case with our customer Bakery Bouman, about which we recently published a case study.

For this bakery, extending the service life without adjustments was even 60% cheaper than having the production line modified. And that while it is safe to continue running with the current production line for at least another 5 years.

To modify or not to modify?

A difference of 60%, that's a lot. But are there also differences in content in the choices, and is it suitable for everyone? Below, you will find a short list of content for the various options.

Subject	No modification	Modification
Control cabinets	Keep the current control cabinets	Design of new control cabinets
Production stop	No production stop: Preventive replacement of modules can be done in planned production stops.	Once-off production stop of at least one week during which production cannot be carried out.
Purchasing modules	Buying new and refurbished modules for preventive maintenance and stockpiling.	Buying new modules only.
Availability of modules	Planning ahead is important. It is essential for old modules to be overhauled and stock to be built up so they are available at a critical time	New control technology is usually easy to procure.*

Extra bonus: Refurbished electronics vs new electronics

If the decision is made not to have a production line modified, the trade-off between refurbished electronics and new electronics is also highly relevant during the purchase of back-up modules.

Purchasing refurbished electronics is a far more affordable option ( up to 40% cheaper ) than purchasing completely new modules. Of course, modules can have some external user extras here and there, but it does not affect functioning.

In a refurbished module, the time-sensitive components have been replaced preventively. This ensures that the product can be used sustainably again. At UNIS Group, we also give a completely new warranty on all refurbished products.

Are you currently in the dark as to the electronics in your process control?

Insight into your production lines and the electronics contained therein is crucial when making this choice. If at this stage you do not have insight in your current electronics, you can of course always map this out yourself, but you can also choose to outsource it. Thus, you can fully focus on making the production process function properly.

UNIS Group is happy to help you provide insight through our ' inventory and evaluation ' service. Our Field Service Engineers are happy to visit you onsite to document all available electronics. With the help of the information in our inventory report, you can then make an informed decision yourself.

Extending the service life without modification: sustainable and financially attractive

In this blog, we have given you insight into the possibilities of extending the life of your production line or machine – with or without modification. So we hope that you are aware of the fact that extending the service life without modification can be a sustainable and financially attractive choice for many production companies.

If you have questions about this, or if you want to know whether extending the life of your product line without modification is also an attractive choice for you, please feel free to contact us. We are happy to help you.

You can reach UNIS Group via int@unisgroup.com or +31 566 72 61 91.

Extending the life of your production line: to modify or not to modify?