Upgrades and retrofits

Contact us

An upgrade or retrofit is a way to extend the service life of your coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and potentially boost your machine’s performance for greater efficiency.

Your CMM is a durable structure and, because most machines use air-bearing guideways, there is very little wear and tear. The same cannot be said for certain mechanical and electrical parts; the system’s software and PC evolve quickly, becoming obsolete after a few years of good operation.

If manufacturers don’t keep up with this evolving technology, their measuring systems might not be yielding the most throughput, accuracy, or flexibility available to them. And in the Industry 4.0 era, a retrofit can help drive your digital transformation for smarter manufacturing. Luckily, there are plenty of cost-effective solutions to revitalise and enhance performance for greater productivity.

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your software, add new sensor technology, or implement a more comprehensive upgrade, our engineers can help you identify the best upgrade or retrofit options to optimise your inspections.

What is the difference between a retrofit and an upgrade?

A retrofit involves replacing the original CNC with a new controller
An upgrade enhances existing components of the machine while keeping the original CNC

How might you benefit from a retrofit or upgrade?

Save time: reduce CMM downtime by updating components before they reach end-of-life
Drive productivity: add functionalities and enhance system capabilities, potentially shortening inspection programming and cycles via increased automation
Make your machine future-ready: an upgrade means your CMM will be ready to take advantage of emerging smart technologies that will further drive productivity
Increase sustainability: CMMs can be mistakenly replaced before they have actually reached end-of-life; a retrofit or upgrade is likely the more environmental and economical option

What might an upgrade or retrofit involve?

Upgrades and retrofits are not available as predefined service packages. A CMM comprises several subsystems and the condition of each of them must be carefully evaluated before we propose the best upgrade intervention for that specific machine.

Our services range from simple and straightforward upgrade interventions, in which we provide new PC and PC peripherals and software (with training included), to a complete retrofit, including:

PC and PC peripherals
Software (with training included)
Replacement of CNC system (controller) with the latest technology

In addition, a retrofit or upgrade can prime your machine to take advantage of next-generation smart technologies that push productivity further, including:

TEMPO: automated CMM part-loading system that enables interruption-free inspection and lights out manufacturing
Digital Control Center (dCC): access quality data quickly and easily with the handheld CMM interfacing system
PULSE: ensure data integrity even when working away from the CMM with the real-time monitoring and alert system

After any upgrade intervention the CMM must meet the original accuracy specification, so a machine calibration will be necessary in most cases.