There can be no doubt that technological progress is at the heart of increased manufacturing productivity. The business that consistently fails to adopt new technologies risks reducing competitiveness, or worse.
Armed with new capabilities, research, and knowledge, developers continually hone their solutions to meet customer needs. This is crucial work, but something often gets forgotten: appreciating the power of the technologies we already have.
Of course new products are designed to be better than older ones, but this doesn’t render our current systems useless overnight or mean their performance can’t be improved by new technology. This is particularly the case with the coordinate measuring machine (CMM).
Structurally, a CMM is made to last. Built of robust materials, a CMM can serve manufacturers for many years, with little to no signs of wear and tear. The problem is that technological advancements in the world of CMM components can make the machine’s software, probing equipment, electronic controllers, etc., out of date, or even obsolete.
But to the best of my knowledge, nobody went around tearing down houses when double glazing was invented. Likewise, when faced with an aging CMM the answer isn’t necessarily to buy a new machine, but to take the opportunity to have the machine assessed and see what components would benefitfrom replacement.
As our free eBook on CMM Retrofits and Upgrades points out: “retrofitting is the cost-effective yet potentially transformative competitiveness differentiator that can align older inspection systems with modern manufacturing demands.”
So what is retrofitting? How does it differ from an upgrade? How do I know when it’s time to consider retrofitting my machine?
In the eBook, we answer these questions, as well as explore the reasons manufacturers should ensure software is consistently up-to-date and real life examples of companies that have benefited from the enhancements of a CMM retrofit.
Download your free copy of CMM Upgrades and Retrofits: a Guide to Revitalising Your Coordinate Measuring Machine.
eBook chapters:
- Introduction
- A Brief History of CMM Controllers
- What is a Retrofit?
- Case Study: Motor Sich
- How to Know When It’s Time for a Retrofit
- Why Upgrade Your Software System?
- Software Upgrade FAQs
- Case Study: China Airlines
- Retrofit Services
