You have a good system that has run well for years, but spare parts are no longer available. The documentation is nowhere to be found. The only person who understands the system is retiring. Sound familiar? You're not the only one.
Industrial systems last for decades, but the world around them changes faster. Customers expect new features, IT wants to connect to the cloud, and meanwhile nobody dares to touch the system in case it breaks.
Replacing everything is rarely realistic: it costs too much, carries too much risk and means too much downtime. Doing nothing isn't an option either.
Step by step, with no big bang
We replace outdated parts with modern alternatives that will last and that fit straight into your existing system. These drop-in replacements work with what you have and make room for what you need next.
We start by analyzing and documenting your current system. Where needed, we reverse engineer old protocols to understand them. That way we know exactly what has to happen before we replace anything.
We replace outdated circuit boards and modules with our own designs. They have the same size and connectors, perform better and will be available for years again.
Legacy controllers and processor boards get a modern core that is faster, uses less power and is ready for expansion.
We rewrite proprietary firmware into maintainable, documented code, with room for new features and connections to external systems.
The result is a system that looks the same from the outside and is ready for the next ten years on the inside.
Read out your equipment remotely without redesigning your whole product
Connect
We connect a sensor-link module to your existing controller over Modbus, CAN or a serial link. Your device then sends its status and fault codes over 4G to your own server. Nothing changes in the controller itself.
Replace
If the electronics are due for replacement anyway, we design a new version with 4G, security and remote updates built in. It does the same job with the same connections, and from then on you can monitor it remotely.
Example: BTB Energy
An existing solar water heater moved from Wi-Fi to its own 4G connection
New controller, firmware and server in 12 weeks.
Modernizing is more than new hardware. It means keeping what works and laying the groundwork for the future. After the modernization we stay on as your technical partner. We document everything so the knowledge doesn't get lost again, and we keep your system up to date. That way you won't be back in the same spot ten years from now.
Replacing everything at once sounds like the fastest route, but incremental modernization is almost always the better strategy. Why? You're always working from a functioning whole and can test and adjust much sooner.
Building something new from scratch is so much easier than modifying existing systems. But you don't have that luxury when you need to modernize a running system.
