Big repair quote on an old machine? Before you sign either check, run through these questions.
Is the iron still good?
A heavy, rigid machine with good ways and castings is worth saving. If the ways are worn badly, the machine has been crashed hard many times, or the castings are cracked, repairs get expensive fast.
Can you still get parts?
Ask your repair company about parts for the control and drives. Older controls can often be supported with rebuilt or exchange boards, but some get hard to source. That is when a retrofit (new control, drives and motors) starts to make sense.
Do the math on downtime
Add up what the machine earns per hour and how many hours it was down in the last year. A machine that keeps breaking costs more than its repair bills.
Does it still do the work you need?
If your parts need more speed, more axes or tighter tolerances than the machine can hold even when it’s healthy, repairs won’t fix that.
A simple rule of thumb
- Repair when the machine is solid, parts are available and it does the work.
- Rebuild or retrofit when the iron is good but the control or drives are obsolete.
- Replace when the iron is worn out, or the machine can’t make the parts you need.
A good repair company will give you an honest opinion. Find one through our retrofits and city pages.