When should industrial automation be modernized – and when not?
Industrial automation has a long life cycle. A production line or a machine can work decades with the same automation solution. Over the years the system is maintained, expanded, and modified as production needs change.
At some point, however, a question arises: should the automation system be modernized?
There is no simple answer. Age alone is not a sufficient reason to renew a functioning system. On the other hand, the fact that the system works today does not mean that you should build on top of it for the next ten years.
Modernization should therefore be examined from the point of view of production continuity, maintainability and future requirements.
1. Spare parts availability is becoming a risk
One of the clearest signs that modernization may be needed is when automation components reach the end of their life cycle.
PLCs, frequency drives, HMIs, and other automation components are not manufactured forever. Once a product family that is in use is discontinued, spare parts become more difficult to obtain, and it may become slow and expensive to get them.
The system itself may still work flawlessly.
The problem arises only at malfunction.
If a critical component fails and a replacement cannot be sourced quickly, a technical problem could become a productional issue. Then modernization decision must be made under pressure – while production is at a standstill.
For this reason, component life cycle should be reviewed before the first spare part problem starts.
2. System maintenance depends on only a few people
Automation system that has been in use for a long time has a lot of regarding knowledge.
Software has been modified, new functions have been added to production, and original solutions have been adapted to new requirements. At the same time, documentation may not have kept pace with these changes.
After many years, this can lead to a situation where only a single person understands how the system works.
This is a risk for the business.
Modernization provides an opportunity to update not only the technology, but also the software architecture, documentation, backups, and maintenance practices. The goal is to have a system that is not dependent on the memory of a single person.
3. Small changes become increasingly difficult
Old automation does not necessarily cause visible problems in daily production. The need for modernization could arise only when production needs further development.
Adding a new product, increasing capacity, integrating new components, or collecting production data may prove unexpectedly difficult.
Individual changes can often still be implemented in an older system. However, if every new requirement demands increasingly complex workarounds, the overall system gradually becomes difficult to manage.
At that point, it is worth asking whether resources are still being used to develop the system, or simply to work around its limitations.
4. The required production data is not available
The role of automation is no longer limited to controlling machines and processes.
Companies need more and more production data on topics such as uptime, faults, energy consumption, quality, and production volumes. This information can be used to improve production, support maintenance, and guide investment decisions.
In older automation systems, the required data may already exist but making it available to other systems is not always straightforward.
This does not automatically mean that the entire automation system needs to be replaced. In some cases, the most sensible solution is to enhance the existing system with additional data collection capabilities or new interfaces.
The key is to identify what information is actually needed and how it will be used.
5. The risk of production downtime starts to cost more than modernization
Automation investments are often evaluated primarily in terms of the cost of modernization.
The other side of the equation is the risk associated with maintaining the existing system.
For example, what would an eight-hour production stoppage cost? What about a full day? How quickly can critical spare parts be delivered? Are up-to-date backups of the software available? Is there someone with the expertise to diagnose and resolve the fault?
If the cost of a single serious failure begins to approach the cost of a planned modernization, the investment discussion changes significantly.
At that point, modernization is no longer merely a technical improvement. It becomes a way to manage risks related to production continuity.
So when should automation not be modernized?
Old does not automatically mean bad.
If a system operates reliably, spare parts and expertise are available, documentation is up to date, and future production development does not require new capabilities from the system, there may be no urgency to modernize it.
Nor does the entire system always need to be replaced at once.
In some cases, a phased modernization is more sensible: replacing the most critical components first, renewing the HMI, improving data collection, or preparing the system for a larger modernization for later.
A good modernization project therefore does not begin with the question: “How old is the system?”
A better question is:
A good modernization project therefore does not begin with the question: “How old is the system?”
A better question is:
“What risks are associated with the current system, what will production require in the coming years, and what is the most sensible way to get from the current situation to that future state?”
Planned modernization is usually better than forced modernization
Ideally, the renewal of the automation system can be prepared well in advance.
The current system can be assessed, critical components identified, documentation reviewed, and the modernization scheduled to coincide with annual maintenance or another planned production shutdown.
The worst time to begin this work is when production has already stopped.
That is why the life cycle of an automation system should be managed in the same way as other critical production systems: not only when something fails, but as part of long-term production and maintenance planning.
Esys Oy designs and implements industrial automation solutions and modernization projects. Our approach is to first understand the customer’s production process, existing system, and actual needs — and only then determine what should be renewed and what should remain as it is.
