The risks of an aging control system are myriad, and some industrial automation systems have been in use for many years and are nearing the end of their functional life. The advantages of an updated system include fast access to the most updated network solutions, ease of access to information, upgraded mean time between failures (MTBF), and cost-effective maintenance and service.

In its July e-newsletter, Schneider Electric, Palatine, Ill., explains how upgrading an aging control system can pay ongoing dividends. The company also provides a migration process to help companies optimize the entire lifecycle of a system. The migration process provides reduced engineering cost and risk, automatic software conversion, and minimum production downtime, says the company.