Retrofit

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Under Retrofit (Engl. For retrofit, retrofit, upgrade ) the modernization or expansion of existing understood (usually older and no longer produced) systems and equipment. In Germany, the term “action” is sometimes used in the automotive industry. Backports represent a similar strategy in software development .

aims

• Extension of the service life
• Increase in production volume
• Increase in product quality
• Higher efficiency of the plant z. B. by saving energy
• Compliance with legal requirements (e.g. emission reduction, occupational safety )
• Ensuring the supply of spare parts
• Creation of the possibility to embed old machines in a modern IT environment (Industry 4.0)

reasons

For existing systems, a retrofit can make more sense than a replacement with a new one. Existing systems are brought up to date by replacing outdated components and adding new, contemporary technological developments. The advantage for the plant operator lies in the modernization of the plant and the associated increase in productivity at significantly lower costs in relation to the purchase of a new plant. The stable basic substance of the machine is retained and, with large machines, there is no need for high replacement investments for the foundation production. Existing existing protection for a system that would presumably no longer receive a new permit can also be preserved through a retrofit.

activities

• Replacement of assemblies for which spare parts are no longer available
• Retrofitting of automation technology, e.g. B. Programmable Logic Controllers
• Adjustments for the integration of the machine / subsystem in production systems, e.g. B. Attachment of conveyor elements
• Replacement of materials with more wear-resistant materials, for example stainless steel
• Use of frequency converters in electric drives to increase efficiency, e.g. B. Saving energy
• Installation of sensors and digitization to implement Industry 4.0

Benefits of a retrofit

• Lower investment costs than when installing a new machine / system
• No new foundation costs
• Aged stable machine bed can be taken over
• Less staff training required as the machine is largely known
• No new, and therefore lengthy, approval process
• Further time savings through only partial renewal

providers

In some cases, retrofitting is offered by the machine manufacturers as part of the after-sales service, but in some cases also by specialized service companies and used machine dealers.

While the advantage of service companies is greater flexibility, machine manufacturers can be expected to have more experience with the respective machines and better knowledge of the original delivery condition.

Examples

Cargo ships are operated with heavy fuel oil . Since about 2000 its price has increased several times over. In the summer of 2008, freight and charter rates peaked; after that they fell off sharply. Since then, many cargo ships have been practicing slow steaming to save fuel. Most ships' engines run at slow speed in a suboptimal operating range . As part of a retrofit, it can be worthwhile to install a smaller engine (less cubic capacity, less power), retrofit cylinder deactivation or similar (especially if the ship has a relatively long operating time ahead of it).

In the case of electrical light sources , one speaks of retrofit when lights with bases for conventional light sources are replaced by suitable replacement light sources with energy-saving technology. In the narrower sense, the term retrofit is used for LED lamps with filaments because, according to the current state of the art, they are most similar to conventional incandescent lamps .

See also

• Factory planning
• reuse

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Website of the BMA Braunschweigische Maschinenbauanstalt AG ( Memento of the original from May 24, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrofitting in practice ; found on February 26, 2010 
2. ↑ Retrofit. Retrieved December 9, 2019 . 
3. ↑ Website of the BMA Braunschweigische Maschinenbauanstalt AG  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrofitting of centrifuges found on May 3, 2010  
4. ↑ www.mandieselturbo.com Reducing fuel oil consumption with retrofit (Turbocharger cut-out with swing gate valves permits a frequent change between full and part load operation without manually having to install and remove blinding plates.)
5. ↑ Retrofit solutions - slow steaming ( Memento of the original from February 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (pdf, 5 p .; 509 kB) 
6. ↑ www.environmentalleader.com: 'Slow-steaming' Could Help Shipping Industry Cut Emissions 30% (2010)
7. ↑ www.bairdmaritime.com: MAN investigates practice of 'slow steaming' ( Memento of the original dated February 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
8. ↑ Maersk pays retrofit costs for chartered-in boxships (January 2013)
9. ↑ Replace lightbulbs with LEDs (January 2014)
10. ↑ Joachim Rüther, Hendrik Härter: An LED filament lamp comes very close to the incandescent lamp. In: Elektronikpraxis . October 19, 2016, accessed January 27, 2020 .