Preparing the published article.
Retrofitting Robots into Existing Equipment
Integrating a robot with machines that were never designed for one.
The interface is the project
In a retrofit, the robot is usually straightforward; the existing machine is the risk. Older equipment may have no fieldbus, an undocumented PLC, safety relays wired in series, or a control cabinet with no spare space. Survey these before quoting.
Practical integration options
| Situation | Approach | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| No fieldbus | Discrete I/O handshake | Fewer signals, slower diagnostics |
| Closed controller | External sensors + PLC logic | Extra hardware, independent of vendor |
| Safety relays only | Add a safety module with dual channel | Careful validation required |
| No space in cabinet | Small auxiliary enclosure | Cable routing and heat |
Document what you find
Photograph the cabinet, trace the signals and record the machine's real behaviour — including its quirks. The retrofit documentation becomes the only reliable description of a machine that may be twenty years old.