Fanuc CNC Retrofit

Nobody has more up to date knowledge of Fanuc CNC products outside of Fanuc in
the UK than Neuteq-Europe Ltd.
We can advise you on the best control solution available from Fanuc CNC.

Our Fanuc retrofits are supported by the mechanical expertise of Neuteq-Europe Ltd,
who has an excellent reputation for full rebuilds.

What do you want to know?

1. Is it worth retrofitting my machine?

Is your machine mechanically sound but the control or drives are becoming
unreliable?
Until you ask us to give you a quote for your machine we cannot give a definitive
answer, but his information should help.

2. What are the advantages of a retrofit?

This depends how old your control is and what you intend to produce on your
machine.
Let us look at what you wish to do and we will advise you on the best control and
what options you need. We might even be able to improve the production
capability of your current machine.
Popular reasons for retrofitting include - increasing memory size, macro
programming, networking and new options available on later controls.

3. Do I have to change everything, my drives seem ok but I cannot seem to

find parts the way I used to?

There are basically three types of retrofit:

A. Replace the CNC control only (analogue retrofit).

B. Replace the CNC control and the axes motors and
Drives, but keep the existing spindle motor and drive.
C. Full retrofit - when all the above plus the spindle motor
and drive is replaced.
 4. How much will it cost?

This really is dependent on the size of motors, the bigger they are the more
money they are! However, the bigger the motors normally mean a bigger
machine which would be more expensive to replace.

Please contact us for help and advice, we will look at any current make of
machine and control and give you an honest answer to its viability.

5. What’s difference between a retrofit and a rebuild?

A retrofit is normally to change any part of the existing control, drives, motors and
electrics. A rebuild is where we refurbish the mechanics of the machine as well
as doing a retrofit.

Should I retrofit?

ROI (Return on Investment) will be top of any accountants list!

It is not as simple as how much is the retrofit v cost of new machine. You must
consider the following:

• Cost of retrofit.
• What production time can I improve on? – drawing to finished part.
• What is the cost of new foundations for a new machine?
• What will the cost of new tooling be for a new machine?
• What are my projected maintenance costs?
• What warranty will I get? 2 years parts and labour with a Fanuc retrofit.
• How long will parts be available? 25 years with Fanuc, guaranteed minimum.
• Energy savings – as long as you choose FANUC for your new machine or for
your retrofit you will see savings of 30% or even as
much as 50% in some cases due to FANUC’s
advanced digital drive technology.
Which retrofit is for me?

This really depends on why you are looking?

It is either:

1. The machine has become unreliable.

2. The control does not have the functions available on newer machines.
3. You cannot get parts when the machine breaks down.
4. Your customer has asked you to carry out a risk assessment on your
production machines and it has highlighted the machine as a weak point.

It is rare that we carry out full re-builds or full retrofits which include the control,
drives and all motors including spindle motors. These are normally carried out on
large machines such as Kearns Richards, Webster Bennett and large machines with
pallet loading etc.

This does not mean that we can’t offer a retrofit to suit your budget or to get a
return on your investment.

1. Analogue Retrofit – this is the lowest cost retrofit. Only the CNC control and
the I/O (input and output interface) are replaced, all motors and servo drives
remain. This option is usually purchased by companies who require larger
data storage, or have had a main board fail and cannot find parts. You might
be looking at a second hand machine with an old control and you wish to have
a new control. Examples are machines with old GE, Sinumerik or other
obsolete controls.

2. CNC and axes motor drives retrofit – this is by far the

most popular choice, as this gives the latest digital
Servos, speed of operation and does not include the
rather expensive spindle motor or drive.

3. Full retrofit – Replace the control, all axes drives and

Motors, the spindle motor and spindle drive.

With your budget in mind we can either use existing

electrical cabinets and pendants or provide new, it is
entirely up to you the customer.
PERFORMANCE

The new system will have a high speed digital interface to the axes and spindle drive
(if you decide on a full retrofit.) Older systems were analogue, which meant the
communication between the control and drives was much slower than today. This
caused the machine to stop and think, causing marks in machined parts, especially
in high speed 3D mould tool production. This is now a thing of the past. FANUC
systems are easy to optimise for high speed machining or for different mechanical
drive systems.

TRAINING

When was the last time you or your operators had training on FANUC controls?

With all our retrofits we provide full operator training, normally two days and optional
programmer training. We can also work with your programmers during the retrofit to
enhance production with special macro programming.

BUDGETS

Everybody has a budget, which is why there are different levels of retrofit
to meet your needs.

SUMMARY

Until we see the machine, we cannot really answer the main question.
What we will do is listen to your requirements,
look at your machine and your current machining techniques
and give you expert and honest advice
on any improvements a FANUC retrofit could bring.

Call us on: +44 (0)1827 313644

Or email iwarren@neuteq-europe.co.uk