Retrofit, Automation, and Plant Relocation
How to Adapt Existing Production Facilities for New Locations and Industry 4.0
Production facilities are long-term investments. At the same time, markets, technologies, and production strategies are changing faster than ever before. Production sites are being expanded or relocated, and demands for digitalization and automation are constantly increasing.
For many industrial companies, the question is therefore no longer simply whether to build a new plant, but rather:
How can existing production be efficiently modernized and adapted to future requirements?
This is precisely where retrofit projects, automation solutions, and professional plant relocations are becoming increasingly important.
Langzauner supports customers worldwide in the modernization, digitization, and relocation of production facilities—from hydraulic press systems to fully automated production lines.
Plant Relocation: More Than Just Transport
The relocation of production plants involves far more than just logistics. Particularly in the case of specialised machinery and automated production lines, the mechanical, electrical, software and process control systems must remain precisely coordinated.
Langzauner supports the entire relocation process:
- Professional dismantling of the plant
- Transport, logistics and customs solutions
- Re-assembly at the new site
- Integration into existing production environments
- Commissioning and process optimisation
- Training of operating and maintenance staff
Close collaboration between project management, electrical engineering, software development and the service team minimises downtime and ensures production reliability.
Retrofitting of production plant
Not every new production requirement calls for a completely new machine. Often, there is already enormous potential in existing plants.
Targeted retrofitting measures can be used to modernise production systems technically and adapt them to current industrial requirements.
Typical reasons for a retrofit include:
- outdated PLCs and control systems
- limited availability of spare parts
- lack of data transparency
- increasing traceability requirements
- higher process reliability requirements
- integration of new automation solutions
Older systems in particular often have a robust mechanical foundation. By modernising the control, visualisation and automation systems, their service life can be significantly extended.
Automation of existing production lines
Automation is a key component of modern retrofit projects.
Today, production facilities are no longer solely mechanical in nature. The intelligent networking of all production steps is crucial for productivity and process stability.
Langzauner supports customers in areas including:
- Modernisation of existing PLC systems
- Integration of new robotics and handling solutions
- Automation of material flows
- Optimisation of production processes
- Integration of digital process monitoring
- Automated data acquisition and production analysis
Particularly in the case of press systems, composite production lines and specialised machinery, the coordination between mechanical, electrical and software components is crucial for ensuring stable production in the long term.
Digitalisation of existing plant
Many existing production facilities were not originally designed to meet today’s requirements for digitalisation and Industry 4.0.
With perfectDATA, Langzauner offers a powerful tool for digital production data collection directly on the shop floor.
This enables, for example:
- Machine statuses to be monitored in real time
- Downtime to be analysed
- Maintenance measures to be planned more effectively
- Energy consumption to be presented more transparently
- Production processes to be optimised
This provides a data-driven basis for decision-making to ensure modern and efficient production.
Thinking Ahead in Production
Retrofitting, digitalisation and plant relocation are now key components of modern production strategies.
By intelligently modernising and automating existing production facilities, companies lay the foundations for long-term competitiveness – in terms of technology, economics and sustainability.
Langzauner supports companies on this journey with comprehensive expertise in specialised machine construction, state-of-the-art automation technology and international experience in implementing complex production projects.
