Control cabinet manufacturing for industrial companies

Retrofit: modernising existing switchgear safely

Gross Schaltschrankbau supports industrial companies in the technical renewal of existing control cabinets and controls. Inventory, target concept, component replacement, documentation updates and conversion are planned so that risks, interfaces and downtime become visible at an early stage.

What does a control cabinet retrofit involve?

A retrofit replaces or extends outdated electrical and control components without rebuilding the entire machine or plant. This includes inventory analysis, risk assessment, target concept, component selection, design, new schematics, conversion, software adaptation, testing and recommissioning – each within the agreed scope of services.

Starting point

Existing plant, faults or obsolescence

Goal

Improve availability, safety and maintainability

Implementation

In stages or during a planned shutdown

Result

Modernised technology and updated documentation

Typical triggers

When modernisation makes sense

Obsolescence

Components have been discontinued, spare parts are hard to source or delivery times can no longer be planned.

Availability

Faults are becoming more frequent, troubleshooting takes too long or the plant suffers unplanned downtime.

New requirements

Changed processes, additional loads, new interfaces or extended safety requirements.

Incomplete documentation

The installed state differs from the available documents and needs to be brought back to a reliable status.

Energy and metering

Energy metering, power monitoring or connection to higher-level systems is to be retrofitted.

Relocation

Plants are relocated, converted or adapted to a different target market.

Project workflow

From existing installation to a modernised, documented plant

Downtime, responsibilities and how to deal with surprises in the existing installation are agreed before implementation begins.

In existing installations, the actual situation is rarely documented the way the drawings suggest. Modifications, spare parts and temporary fixes from years of operation often appear in no plan – and it is precisely these that determine the effort.

That is why the inventory comes first, not the quotation. Only once the actual condition has been recorded can the target architecture, replacement components and downtime be planned reliably.

Downtime is usually the toughest constraint. Whatever can be prepared, prefabricated and pre-tested is done before the conversion – leaving only the changeover on site.

The result is a plant based on available technology, with documentation that reflects the as-built state – including what was not in the plan before.

01

Record the existing state

Review the plant, components and existing documents.

02

Define the goal

Specify requirements, risks and target architecture.

03

Plan

Work out component replacement, schematics and conversion steps.

04

Approve

Formally agree on target state, shutdown window and responsibilities.

05

Convert

Machine, assemble, wire and label.

06

Test & hand over

Test, document and prepare for recommissioning.

Scope of services

From inventory to recommissioning

Which modules are taken on depends on the condition of the plant, the existing documentation and the planned shutdown window.

Inventory & Target Concept

Engineering & Conversion

Testing & handover

Managing risks

With existing plants, preparation determines the downtime

The more precisely the actual state is recorded before the conversion, the shorter the window during which the plant is down. Deviations between documentation and the installed state are therefore identified and assessed before implementation.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about retrofit and modernisation

What happens if no up-to-date documentation is available?

The actual state is recorded to the agreed extent and reconciled with the existing documents. Deviations and open issues are documented before a target state is approved.
Yes. Depending on the plant and production planning, a retrofit can be carried out in stages or during a planned shutdown. The split is defined together with the operator.
Updating the electrical documentation can be part of the scope of services. Formats, revision status and rights of use are agreed in advance.

Request manufacturing services for your project

Send us your documents, quantities and schedule. Gross Schaltschrankbau reviews the data, clarifies open points and agrees the appropriate manufacturing scope with you.