Control System Upgrades
Cross Company Control System Upgrades
Once an automated process control system becomes obsolete, the costs of maintaining that system can double or even triple. Sourcing unsupported parts, more time and manpower being spent to keep legacy systems operations, and the downtime associated with repair or maintenance become a rapidly increasing cost. And that’s not even taking into account safety concerns inherent with sunsetting or legacy hardware/software.
While your current system may be working as intended now, if it’s running off unsupported parts or legacy software, it’s only a matter of time until major problems will arise.
Cost of control system upgrading or migrating is a frequent concern for these types of projects. When you partner with Cross Company’s Process Solutions group, our experts and engineers work with you to prepare a comparative analysis of savings through migration and costs of equipment failure. Then we can design and integrate an updated process control system that works for your facility, your people, and your bottom line. And afterwards, Cross offers dedicated services to maintain and keep your systems up-to-date with full control system lifecycle support. We’re not just an integrator. We’re a partner.
Certifications
The Benefits of Cross As An Integration Partner
Navigating the upgrade process for automated control systems, integrated DCS, or interconnected PLCs is daunting. It’s not only ensuring that your equipment is still able to communicate, it’s also planning for downtime, accounting for cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and making sure everything works as well on day 100 as day 1.
Considerations like these are why it’s so important to partner with the right integration partner. This decision can be as important as the decision to upgrade control systems in the first place. When you partner with Cross Company, we can turn a higher-risk transition into an opportunity for optimized production, improved safety, and long-term savings.
Cross maintains high-level partnerships with leading control system providers, is certified by CSiA, able to meet UL 508A standards, and is a solution partner for leading brands like Siemens and Rockwell/Allen-Bradley.
Minimized Downtime
Smooth Operator Transition
Reducing Obsolescence Risk
Future-Proof Security
Offering Solutions From Leading Brands
Navigating the Risks of Outdated Systems with Cross Company
Though an older process control system may not be completely obsolete yet (and may even be still performing as expected), it can still introduce large operational risks. And mitigating this risk requires more than just a software update. It requires an experienced integration partner. Cross Company helps you navigate and eliminate the risks of delaying automated control system upgrades through neutralizing end-of-life vulnerabilities, eliminating the headaches of sourcing obsolete equipment, and maximizing productive uptime.
End-of-Life Considerations
End-of-life control systems are a significant cybersecurity risk. Don’t wait until a breach occurs. Cross Company’s process cybersecurity expertise allows us to identify vulnerabilities in your aging software and deploy modern defense layers before a crisis occurs.
Removing Obsolescence Sourcing Concerns
As control systems age, it only becomes more and more difficult to find replacement parts and reliable repair processes. Further, ignoring obsolescence risks leaves you with HMIs and PLCs that lack the capacity to integrate with future technologies. Cross can help.
Reclaiming Downtime
Over time, slow-startups and prolonged repair-related downtime adds up. Cross helps you reclaim that lost revenue. Through up-to-date equipment and optimized process flow, Cross helps turn your current downtime into productive hours of quality and efficiency.
Process Control System Migration Made Easy
Through a combination of our proven project management processes, experienced engineering team, and partnerships with industry-leading brands, we’re able to simplify your control system migration process.
In many cases, Cross Company functions as an extension of your own engineering teams, providing the support your control system project needs to succeed.
Can You Afford To Not Upgrade?
At Cross, we understand that upgrading control systems can seem like a big cost. Not only is there downtime to think about, but also the extra time required to update procedures with both operators and operations.
But how do these costs compare to the costs of a critical security failure? Or a control system that’s become completely obsolete? Don’t let your control system become so outdated that you need to pay an even higher price.
Control System Upgrade or Replacement?
In some cases, older control systems with solid foundations just need an upgrade to perform like new. But when increasing obsolescence begins creeping up, an upgrade may be more of a bandaid than a solution. So when does an automated process control system replacement become necessary?
Some considerations include
- For DCS or older PLCs, an upgrade may be leaving the software mostly in place but replacing under-performing hardware. This is functionally very similar to a replacement.
- If your hardware is up to date but you’re not meeting numbers, the problem could be legacy software. Bringing this up-to-date can significantly improve process performance.
- You may have hardware and software from trusted brands but with older models. In this instance, things function relatively similarly process-wise, but with the efficiency of modernized equipment
Cross Company Process Solutions Resources
Take a look at some of our most popular Cross resources about process control, control system migration, process optimization, and more
How We Get It Right Every Time
Successfully executing a complex project like process control system upgrades, legacy control system migration, greenfield integration, or control system design takes more than guesswork. At Cross Company, we don’t believe in a “see what happens” approach.
That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive project execution model to ensure every project flows perfectly, no matter the scope.
From Basis of Design (BOD) and/or Functional Design Specification (FDS) to Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) to Start-Up and Commissioning, we detail and document every step of the process. That way, your project goes exactly as expected.
We can even provide initial documentation as a separate offering. Take a look at the full model or contact Cross Company’s Process Solutions group to learn more.
Why Upgrade Your Control System With Cross?
If your process operation is currently running on sunsetting or legacy control system hardware or software, it means your plant is at risk. Though it may be a short-term fix to source replacement parts from third-party vendors and just have maintenance fix problems as they arise, it’s putting your operation at a massive risk. With each passing day, your operation may be more vulnerable to unplanned downtime, cybersecurity threats, and the ever-increasing costs of obsolete parts.
That’s why it’s so important to not only upgrade your legacy control system, but to partner with an experienced integrator with decades of experience who can ensure your upgraded system perfectly matches your specific operational requirements. Cross Company utilizes proven, phased migration strategies and rigorous pre-commissioning testing to ensure a seamless transition with minimal disruption to your live production.
Don’t let an outdated control system dictate your plant’s potential or threaten your uptime. Partner with Cross Company to mitigate your risks, optimize your processes, and secure your competitive edge.
Related Solutions for Process Applications
At Cross, we offer much more than just control system upgrades. We can also provide the solutions our process manufacturing partners need to succeed. Check out our other process solutions equipment and see for yourself.
