Cut Downtime, Not Corners: How Retrofitting Can Save Your Operation
In the industrial manufacturing sector, a common frustration faced by operations teams is the presence of aging, unsupported equipment. Many of these older systems serve as the backbone of production; however, they often consist of outdated or discontinued components that bring unnecessary risks and complexities. When OEM parts, particularly gearboxes, are no longer produced, plant teams have to make challenging decisions:
- Invest heavily in full equipment replacement
- Patch together temporary fixes that may compromise reliability.
- Face the inevitable downtime
The good news is that you don’t need to replace an entire system to restore your operation to peak performance. Retrofitting is an efficient and cost-effective solution that extends the life of critical assets by integrating modern components with legacy systems. This approach allows you to update aging equipment to current standards without the expense and downtime associated with a complete system overhaul. In addition to saving costs and time, retrofitting also offers several key benefits:
- Preserve infrastructure – No need to redesign mounting bases or coupling systems.
- Improve performance – New gearboxes often include efficiency upgrades, quieter operation, and modern safety features.
- Ensure serviceability – Easier sourcing of parts, oil, and maintenance support going forward.
No matter your requirements, we have a solution for you. Sumitomo manufactures gears and components that are tailored to your specific needs, including drive shafts, flanges, motor plates, and adapters. We provide customized bases that enable our units to match the footprint of various existing applications, as well as drop-in gear drives for upgrading or replacing competitor units. Our adaptability ensures that you won't need to make any changes.
With a wide range of options available, we can replace your unit with minimal disruption while delivering a top-quality product that excels in performance and reliability.
Sumitomo Replacements Bring Cost Savings
How can upgrading your operations with a Sumitomo product benefit you? Watch the Success Story video below to see how this company saved $ 375,000 in costs by replacing their old units with our Cyclo product.
Easy Retrofitting for Wastewater Treatment Applications
This customer processes wastewater for 330,000 businesses and residents in the San Fernando Valley and is one of four treatment plants serving a population of four million people across a 600-square-mile area in Los Angeles County. The company was facing maintenance issues with its existing units, which were leading to operational failures. The Sumitomo Bevel Buddybox Reducer was chosen to replace the old competitor units previously used in production.
Read the full story below on how our products were the best choice and perfect fit for this wastewater plant.