Less Expensive Than New Procurement
Restoration typically costs only 20 to 60 percent of new procurement. This noticeably reduces maintenance costs, especially for expensive or large components.
Retrofit for industrial plants – particularly in mechanical engineering – is a measure to upgrade worn components of existing machinery or to modernise entire plants. Instead of replacing a worn component, the surface material removed by wear or corrosion is replaced by a new functional layer applied by hardfacing. In highly stressed areas, layers can be applied whose properties exceed those of the base material.
With the support of sensor technology and 3D scanning, component restoration is today state of the art in predictive maintenance. For operators of existing machinery, retrofit is an economical alternative to new procurement: components remain in service longer, and repairs become plannable.
Typical Application Areas for Retrofit in Plant and Mechanical Engineering
Conveying and Bulk Material Technology
In conveying, bulk material and separation technology, components wear primarily through abrasion. Screw shafts, screw conveyors and screw presses are stressed to varying degrees in the process. Via retrofit, these components can be restored or upgraded in a targeted manner at the points where wear such as abrasion, adhesion or corrosion actually occurs.
Comminution and Recycling Technology
In comminution and recycling technology, high mechanical loads and strongly varying materials act on the components. Worn functional surfaces are rebuilt by hardfacing and provided with functional layers that can withstand the load. This keeps stressed components in service instead of replacing them.
Tools, Moulds and Dies
Tools, moulds and dies for casting, forging, pressing and extrusion are subject to high temperatures, many thermal cycles and large pressure peaks. This wear is generally predictable and progressive. Via retrofit, worn contours are restored, which extends the service life of the tools and shifts tool changes into the revision planning.
Pump and Extrusion Technology
In pump and extrusion technology, components wear where media and material act on the surface with high load. With functional layers deposited close to the final contour, these components are brought back to dimension. Wear and corrosion protection can be combined in a single layer.
Key Advantages of Component Restoration
In practice, when a component is worn, the same question almost always arises: buy new or restore? A new part is quickly ordered, but it comes with high acquisition costs – and for large or specially manufactured components, delivery can take weeks. Weeks during which the plant stands still.
Retrofit reverses this calculation. The existing component is retained and made operational again by hardfacing – often with a functional layer that performs better than the original. What this means in operation becomes apparent in several respects, both economic and technical.
Plannable and Revision-Ready
Wear generally progresses predictably. As part of predictive maintenance, repairs can therefore be scheduled specifically within revision periods and repeated multiple times, rather than leading to an unplanned production stoppage.
Short Delivery and Processing Times
The high degree of automation ensures short processing times. A restoration is therefore generally available significantly faster than a newly procured component.
Low Dilution, High Layer Quality
Laser and TIG hot-wire hardfacing dilute only minimally with the base material – generally below 5 percent. Required properties such as hardness, emergency running properties or porosity freedom are thus often achieved in the first pass.
Materials Matched to the Task
Welding consumables, alloy systems and carbide content can be precisely adapted to the load of the component. Wear and corrosion protection are individually composed.
Near-Net-Shape Coating
Modern sensors and optics enable high contour accuracy. Components can be coated close to the final contour, significantly shortening subsequent work such as turning, milling or grinding.
Retrofit in practice: refurbishment of a screw conveyor
Screw press in the recycling industry
Before
Massive wear on the screw flight due to high compressive loads and permanent metal-on-metal contact. Foreign matter such as spring steel, wire remnants and metallic components in the material flow caused severe material loss and significantly shortened the service life of the screw.
After
Modernisation of the screw flight through weld build-up and the application of a specially developed wear protection layer. The intelligent material combination was specifically matched to the high compressive forces and the extreme metal friction in the pressing process.
Result
Significantly higher wear resistance, longer service life and reduced maintenance costs. The optimised protective layer permanently withstands the high loads caused by metallic foreign matter and increases the efficiency of the entire plant.
How a Component Retrofit Works
Every reconditioning follows a clear process – from component inspection to the finished coating. This produces reproducible results matched to the wear pattern, material and operating conditions.
1. Inspection and Measurement
First we inspect the worn component. This includes the material composition of the base body and coating, determined via material certificate or spectral analysis, as well as checking dimensions such as bores, fits and contours by 3D scan.
2. Actual/Target Comparison
The 3D scan is compared with the target geometry, either using an existing STP model or an earlier scan of the same component. Software overlays both data sets and evaluates them. The result is a false-colour image that visualises the wear rate.
3. Area Selection
Based on the evaluation, the functional surfaces to be coated or the particularly stressed wear areas are defined. This ensures that work is carried out only where wear actually occurs.
4. Coating
The component is then reconditioned. By hardfacing we replace removed material with a new functional layer. Depending on the component, this is done manually or fully automatically via path programming, following a previously agreed procedure.
Welding Processes Used for Component Restoration
Which welding process is used in retrofit depends on the component, load and required layer. Several processes are available for component restoration, differing in precision, deposition rate and area of application.
Laser Hardfacing
In laser hardfacing, the welding consumable is melted as powder or wire via a laser beam. The process dilutes the base material only minimally and allows precise, near-net-shape functional layers. It is particularly suitable for highly stressed components where dimensional accuracy is paramount.
Laser Hardfacing
TIG Hot Wire
The TIG hot-wire process introduces the welding consumable via a preheated wire and delivers clean, low-porosity layers. Due to low dilution, required properties such as hardness or emergency running properties are often achieved in the first pass.
TIG Hot Wire
PTA Welding
In the PTA process, powdered welding consumable is melted in a plasma arc. It applies durable, wear-resistant layers in a targeted manner and is suitable for components where surface wear resistance is paramount.
PTA Welding
MIG/MAG Welding
MIG/MAG hardfacing is an economical process for larger deposition volumes. It deposits material over larger areas in a short time and is the right choice where broad-area wear protection matters more than fine contour accuracy.
MIG/MAG Welding
Manual Metal Arc Welding
Manual metal arc welding is suitable for the targeted restoration of individual points or where automated processing is not economical. This allows even smaller wear areas to be treated flexibly and with minimal set-up effort.
Manual Metal Arc Welding
We Are Happy to Advise You
We support you in selecting the right process and the appropriate solution.
Do You Weld Yourself? The Right Welding Consumables for Your Wear Protection
If you implement wear protection in your own processes, the right welding consumable is decisive. It determines the properties of the coating and thus the service life of the component.
capilla offers welding consumables for different applications – from standard solutions to individually tailored products.
Coating and Component Manufacturing – Rethought
In the Laser Competence Centre capilla bundles modern technologies for coating and component manufacturing.
Retrofit solutions are created here that go beyond conventional welding processes. Components are targeted tempered, reinforced or completely rebuilt.
This enables components that in this form are not achievable with conventional approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions about Retrofit and Component Regeneration
Retrofit refers to the restoration of worn components by hardfacing. Instead of replacing a worn component, the surface material removed by wear or corrosion is replaced by a new functional layer. In highly stressed areas, layers can be applied that are more resilient than the original base material.
capilla uses retrofit specifically for the restoration of worn industrial components.
Retrofit is a fixed part of predictive maintenance. Since wear generally progresses predictably, components can be restored in a targeted manner before they fail. Repairs are thus scheduled within planned revision periods, rather than awaiting an unplanned stoppage.
We support you in planning restorations proactively.
Suitable are worn components from conveying, comminution, recycling, separation, bulk material and pump technology as well as tools, moulds and dies. Whether a component can be restored is shown by a prior inspection of material and wear condition.
We inspect your component in advance and assess whether restoration is technically and economically viable.
Retrofit is worthwhile wherever components are subject to high loads and new procurement would be expensive or time-consuming. This includes plant and mechanical engineering, recycling and processing technology as well as the bulk material and conveying industry.
capilla serves industrial customers from all metal-processing industries.
The more expensive, larger or more specialised a component is, the more clearly restoration pays off. Restoration typically costs 20 to 60 percent of new procurement and is usually available faster than a newly manufactured component.
capilla determines which path is most economical for your component.
Depending on the component and requirements, laser hardfacing, TIG hot wire, plasma powder hardfacing (PTA), MIG/MAG or manual metal arc welding are used. The selection depends on the required layer quality, deposition volume and load of the component.
Via a 3D scan, the actual geometry is captured and compared with the target geometry, either using an STP model or an earlier scan. Software overlays both data sets. The result is a false-colour image that visualises the wear rate.
Near-net-shape means that the applied layer is already very close to the later target contour. This significantly shortens – or entirely eliminates – subsequent work such as turning, milling or grinding.
Yes. With a suitable material and condition, a component can be restored multiple times. In combination with an archived 3D scan, restoration can be repeated in a targeted manner at a defined wear level and in line with revision periods.
For complex contours or original parts that can no longer be procured, complex geometries or individual component areas can be manufactured at short notice in a like-for-like manner using 3D printing.
capilla also supports you in urgent cases with a fast, like-for-like solution.