Keep your plant running while laying a path to modernization with manufacturing automation from Siemens

You've invested heavily in industrial automation, but legacy components can become an obstacle to growth, innovation and operational excellence. When it makes sense to migrate, choosing Siemens means choosing a partner than can help you implement a path to modernizing your plant with a phased or stepped approach: You can move forward while working within limited capital budgets and maintain your current production. The efficiency, transparency and flexibility of Siemens automation solutions can lower your total cost of ownership while increasing ROI. And Siemens offers a collection of modernization tools to make the transition easy, including no-charge code-conversion services, guidelines and 24/7 support.

The Challenges of Controller Replacement

Here are three major hurdles that you're likely to face as you plan a controller-replacement strategy:

Challenge	Siemens Solution
1. The need to minimize downtime during replacement to avoid productivity losses. You know that an upgrade is critical, but you're worried that changing to a new controller will require downtime.	Siemens offers a stepped or phased approach, which will allow you to retain your current level of productivity during implementation. Also, minimize downtime with products that offer the following features: • Automatic diagnostics capabilities • Uniform hardware and software interfaces • Consistent data management
2. The need for future-focused, long-term solutions that stay within budget. The planning and costs associated with upgrades can be stressful and lead to concerns that new investments won’t be compatible with future technological advancements.	Siemens products: • Are early in their lifecycle • Are digitally optimized, with features that will provide maximum ROI today and tomorrow • Provide a single engineering framework that seamlessly integrates controllers, distributed I/O, HMI, drives, motion control and motor management.
3. The need to ensure the new system doesn’t require extensive training. Switching to a new controller may require costly, time-consuming training sessions to get engineers and maintenance staff up-to-speed.	Siemens offers: • Controllers with implementation wizards and drag and drop between editors for fewer clicks and faster engineering • No-charge 24/7 technical support until product maturity • No-charge code-conversion services to retain your current project structures