Legacy Machine Modernization for Fabric Processing Equipment
A legacy machine modernization and motion upgrade project that transformed an aging fabric-processing machine into a more reliable, maintainable, and flexible production asset.
Executive Summary
A furniture manufacturer with active textile and production operations was experiencing increasing challenges with a legacy machine used in the processing of fabric components for office partitions and workspace systems.
The system had evolved over time, combining aging PLC hardware, PC-based subsystems, and multiple layers of past modifications. As components approached obsolescence, the risk of failure increased, and troubleshooting required more time and specialized knowledge.
Cornerstone Automation approached this legacy machine modernization project with a focus on reducing operational risk while improving long-term supportability and making the system easier to maintain. By modernizing critical control and motion systems while preserving the mechanical platform, the machine was stabilized and made easier to support. The initial upgrade also established a consistent foundation that the customer began extending to additional machines.
Legacy Machine Modernization Challenge
The machine was still operational, but aging technology and years of modifications had made it increasingly difficult to support and maintain.
Several risk factors had developed over time:
- Critical machine functions relied on PC-based systems that were no longer supported
- Replacement parts for key components were becoming difficult to source
- The control architecture lacked consistency due to years of incremental changes
- Troubleshooting required deep system familiarity and significant time
Multi-axis motion added further complexity. Without a consistent structure or clear diagnostics, identifying the source of a fault could be time-consuming, even for experienced personnel. The machine was also limited in its ability to support newer products. Existing product configurations were hard-coded into the control system, making it difficult to add, modify, or expand recipes as product requirements evolved. This restricted the machine to a limited range of legacy products and reduced flexibility for future production needs.
From an operations perspective, the concern was not only current performance, but the growing likelihood of an unplanned failure that would be difficult to diagnose and recover from quickly. This was both a proactive and reactive challenge. Obsolescence had reached a point where internal teams were no longer able or willing to support certain components, and downtime carried an increasing risk of being prolonged and costly.
Pain Points:
- Obsolete and unsupported control components
- Increasing troubleshooting time
- Limited diagnostic visibility for operators and maintenance
- Complex multi-axis motion without consistent structure
- Elevated risk of unplanned downtime
- No clear path for future upgrades
Legacy Machine Modernization Approach
Cornerstone Automation approached the legacy machine modernization effort with a focus on reducing risk and making the system more reliable and easier to maintain, rather than replacing the entire machine.
The first step was identifying components that posed the greatest risk to ongoing operation, particularly unsupported hardware and systems tied to critical machine functions. Addressing these elements allowed the team to improve reliability while minimizing disruption and cost.
The upgrade included:
- Reverse engineering of the existing electrical system and creation of new electrical schematics and documentation
- Development of a flexible recipe management system that allows plant personnel to add, modify, and maintain product configurations without relying on hard-coded program changes
- Replacement of legacy PLC and HMI hardware with a modern, serviceable platform
- Elimination of PC-based subsystems from critical control functions
- Restructuring of the control architecture into a consistent and logical system
- Rework of the multi-axis motion system to improve consistency and troubleshooting
- Complete electrical enclosure redesign with segregated high- and low-voltage sections to improve organization, safety, and maintainability
A key part of the approach was reducing reliance on individual system knowledge. By improving structure, diagnostics, and visibility, the upgraded system made it easier for new or less experienced personnel to support the machine without depending on past familiarity.
The system was also standardized to improve usability and long-term support. This included consistent naming conventions, structured alarm handling, redesigned HMI screens, and complete electrical documentation to support future maintenance and troubleshooting.
In addition, the control system was redesigned to support configurable product recipes. Rather than relying on hard-coded product settings, operators can now add, modify, and manage product configurations more efficiently, providing greater flexibility as production requirements evolve.
Following the initial upgrade, the customer expanded the effort to additional machines. This included increasing motion capability and replacing obsolete laser cutting systems used for fabric trimming. These systems had previously relied on aging PC-based controls, representing another significant source of operational risk.
Technical Highlights
- Migration from legacy PLC and HMI hardware to a modern control platform
- Removal of PC-based control dependencies from critical machine functions
- Standardized multi-axis motion control structure to ensure consistent axis behavior and troubleshooting
- Expansion of motion capability from five axes to six in follow-up work
- Integration of updated laser cutting systems to replace obsolete equipment
- Complete electrical enclosure redesign with segregated high- and low-voltage sections aligned with current industry practices
- Creation of complete electrical schematics and machine documentation through reverse engineering of undocumented systems
- Expanded machine capability to support newly introduced and future product offerings
- Enhanced diagnostic visibility and fault handling through the HMI
- Improved safety circuit diagnostics with clearly separated alarm conditions
- Deterministic EtherNet/IP infrastructure supporting control, HMI, and future SCADA integration
- Rockwell Kinetix servo platform implementation
Results
The completed legacy machine modernization project provided a more stable and maintainable platform for operations and maintenance.
Key Outcomes:
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- Reduced risk of failure by eliminating obsolete and unsupported components
- Faster troubleshooting due to improved system structure, diagnostics, and documentation
- Improved maintainability for plant personnel
- Increased confidence in machine operation
- Reduced dependence on legacy PC-based systems
- Clear foundation established for future machine upgrades
- No unexpected issues reported following the upgrade
- Improved troubleshooting through clearer safety circuit alarm visibility
- Increased production flexibility by enabling multiple machines to run the full product lineup
- Enabled production of newly introduced product lines that could not previously be run on the machine
- Simplified future product additions through configurable recipe management rather than hard-coded programming changes
Prior to the upgrade, only one machine was capable of running the full product lineup, creating a dependency on a single asset for production.
Just as important, the upgrade shifted the machine from a reactive maintenance situation to a more controlled and manageable system. The success of the initial project led the customer to expand the effort to additional machines, increasing system capability while continuing the transition away from unsupported technologies.
The improvements were noticeable not only to engineering and maintenance personnel, but also to machine operators responsible for day-to-day production. One operator’s reaction to the upgrade was immediate, saying “Yes!” and clapping when they heard a second machine would be upgraded.
Many manufacturers face similar challenges with aging equipment, unsupported components, and undocumented systems. If you’re evaluating a legacy machine modernization project, Cornerstone Automation can help identify practical upgrade opportunities that improve reliability, maintainability, and production flexibility. Contact us to start the conversation.