Retrofits & Migrations
A retrofit or migration modernizes aging controls — obsolete PLCs, drives, HMIs, and panels — while preserving your recipes, logic, and production. Mikewill plans the cutover around your schedule, phases the work into short windows, and proves the new system runs your line exactly like the old one did, only faster and better supported.
Scope of work
- Legacy PLC migrations — SLC 500, PLC-5, and other obsolete processors moved to current ControlLogix / CompactLogix platforms
- Drive and motor-control retrofits, including replacing discontinued VFDs and adding servo control to older mechanical equipment
- HMI and SCADA upgrades — replacing dead PanelViews and outdated screens with current operator interfaces
- Recipe, logic, and I/O mapping so the new system runs your products exactly like the old one, with nothing lost in translation
- Control-panel rebuilds and rewiring to spec, bringing aging cabinets up to safe, documented, maintainable condition
- Phased cutovers planned around planned shutdowns, weekends, and short production windows to protect uptime
- Obsolescence assessments that tell you honestly when to retrofit versus fully replace
Our process
- 01
Assess & document
We survey your existing controls, capture the current logic and recipes, and identify what's obsolete, what's a spare-parts risk, and what's worth keeping.
- 02
Plan the cutover
We map old I/O to new, translate and modernize the program, and build a phased switchover schedule that fits your production calendar.
- 03
Build & pre-test offline
New panels and code are built and simulated in our shop, so the bulk of the work never touches your running line.
- 04
Switch over on site
During a planned window, our in-house electrical and controls team swaps hardware, wires it to spec, and loads the new controls.
- 05
Verify & support
We prove the line runs every product correctly, tune it in, and stay reachable — the engineer who did the migration is the one you call.
Will a PLC migration make us lose our recipes and product settings? +
No. Before we touch anything, we capture your existing recipes, logic, and I/O so they carry over to the new platform intact. We then verify the migrated system runs every product exactly as before. Preserving your recipes and proven process is the core goal of the migration, not an afterthought.
How much downtime does a controls retrofit require? +
Less than most plants expect. We build and pre-test the new panels and code offline in our shop, then do the physical switchover during a planned window — a weekend or scheduled shutdown. Phasing the cutover keeps production interruptions short and predictable instead of shutting your line down for weeks.
Should we retrofit our old controls or just replace the whole machine? +
It depends on the mechanical condition and your goals. If the machine is sound but the controls are obsolete, a retrofit is usually far cheaper and faster than replacement. We give you an honest assessment — including spare-parts risk and lifespan — so you can decide based on real numbers, not a sales pitch.
Can you migrate old SLC 500 or PLC-5 systems to newer Allen-Bradley platforms? +
Yes. Migrating legacy Allen-Bradley processors like SLC 500 and PLC-5 to current ControlLogix or CompactLogix is common work for us. We translate and modernize the logic, remap the I/O, update the drives and HMIs, and commission the line so it runs the same product line, better supported.
Do you handle the electrical and panel work, or just the programming? +
Both, under one roof. Our in-house electricians rewire and rebuild the control panels to spec while our controls engineers handle the migration. One accountable team wires, programs, and commissions the retrofit, so there's no finger-pointing between an electrician and a programmer when something needs attention.
Ready to talk retrofits & migrations?
Get a senior engineer on the phone who can scope your project honestly — and tell you if there's a simpler way.