Industrial Control Systems Aging But Often Dependable Workhorses

Did you know that many modern control systems are now being designed for a minimum 30-year lifespan?  Hmmm. 

Many early systems are still going strong that were installed in the ’90s, ’80s and even some from the 1970s.  But you probably already knew that since so many of you send us your controllers for repairs.

The weaker links in these older systems are the operator terminals, disk drives, power supplies, keyboards, and CRT’s as they often have mechanical or electrical parts that simply wear out.  Many of these units can be repaired and if not, replaced with refurbs or updated, drop-in replacements. 

The long-lived workhorses of  these systems are the I/O boards, core processors, basic controllers, wiring and field devices. 

The rule for most  is, ”if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.  And that, as it turns out, is a pretty good rule for control systems.  Most OEM’s are pretty committed to supporting these systems for a very long time.  The main reason for keeping old systems in place is naturally – cost.

Eventually, even the best of these control system workhorses require repair.  ACS Industrial has a team of technicians that specialize in the repair of electronic controller systems from CRT’s to I/O boards. 

We service virtually all controller manufacturers including:  Honeywell, Siemens, Allen Bradley, Mitsubishi, Fanuc, Yaskawa, Okuma, and more.  To check out our website go to www.acsindustrial.com or call our helpful customer service reps at 800-605-64109.