Industrial Automation Retrofit and Upgrade Services — Edmonton, Alberta

BP Automation engineers custom retrofit solutions for aging industrial machinery — upgrading controls, adding welding automation, integrating modern motion systems, and extending the productive life of existing equipment rather than replacing it.

20+

Years Retrofitting Industrial Equipment

100%

Custom-Engineered to Your Machine

Edmonton

Based — Western Canada Service

Industrial Machine Retrofit and Controls Upgrade Services

Many industrial machines reach the end of their useful life not because the mechanical structure has worn out, but because the controls, drives, or automation systems are obsolete — parts are unavailable, software is unsupported, and the machine can no longer be integrated with modern production systems. A full machine replacement is expensive, disruptive, and often unnecessary.

BP Automation provides industrial automation retrofit services in Edmonton for manufacturers across Western Canada. We assess your existing equipment, identify what can be salvaged and what needs to be replaced, and engineer a retrofit package that restores full functionality, adds modern automation capability, and extends the machine’s productive life by a decade or more — at a fraction of the cost of a new machine.

We retrofit welding systems, cutting machines, material handling equipment, production line machinery, and custom industrial systems. Every retrofit is engineered around your specific machine and your production requirements — not a generic upgrade kit applied to your equipment.

What We Retrofit and Upgrade

Welding Machine Retrofit

Upgrade aging manual or semi-automatic welding machines with modern automated controls, motion systems, and welding power sources — converting old equipment to consistent, programmable automated welding.

More: Welding Automation Systems

PLC and Controls Retrofit

Replace obsolete PLCs, relay logic panels, and legacy control systems with modern PLC and HMI platforms — restoring full machine control capability with current hardware and software that can be supported, modified, and integrated.

More: Our Services

Drive and Motion System Upgrade

Replace failed or obsolete servo drives, stepper systems, and motion controllers with modern equivalents — restoring precise axis control on cutting machines, positioning systems, and production equipment.

More: Cutting and Milling Systems

Automation Control Retrofit

Add automation capability to previously manual or semi-automatic machines — integrating programmable motion control, recipe management, and data capture into equipment that was never originally automated.

More: Fabrication Automation

HMI Modernization

Replace outdated operator interfaces with modern touchscreen HMIs — improving usability, adding diagnostic visibility, enabling recipe storage, and allowing remote monitoring and troubleshooting capability.

More: Custom Engineering Services

Safety System Upgrade

Bring older industrial machines up to current safety standards — adding safety PLCs, safety relays, guarding, light curtains, and emergency stop systems to equipment that predates modern machine safety requirements.

More: Our Engineering Process

Why Retrofit Instead of Replace?

A new custom industrial machine takes months to engineer, build, and commission. It requires capital budget approval, a significant upfront investment, and substantial downtime during the changeover. For many machines — particularly those with solid mechanical structures and purpose-built tooling — the case for replacement is weak when a retrofit can achieve the same outcome for less cost and less disruption.

Industrial automation retrofits typically cost 20 to 50 percent of the cost of a new machine. They preserve your existing tooling and fixturing investment. They reuse mechanical structures that are already proven in your application. And they can often be designed and implemented in less time than a full replacement, with a planned shutdown rather than a forced one.

BP Automation’s retrofit engineering process starts with a thorough assessment of your existing machine — mechanical condition, control architecture, electrical systems, and what you need the machine to do after the retrofit. We then design a retrofit package that addresses your specific gaps: new controls, new drives, new automation capability, or a combination of all three.

Industries and Equipment We Retrofit

Welding machines and positioners — manual welders converted to automated systems, column-and-boom upgrades, rotator control integration
Cutting and profiling machines — legacy CNC controls replaced with modern platforms, new drive systems, path control upgrades
Material handling and conveyor systems — relay logic replaced with PLC control, added automation and process integration
Production line equipment — control system modernization, safety upgrades, HMI replacement, data integration
Custom industrial machinery — any purpose-built machine with obsolete controls, failed drives, or capability gaps that a retrofit can address

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you determine if a machine is worth retrofitting?

We assess the mechanical condition of the machine, the availability and cost of the new controls and drives required, and what the machine needs to do after the retrofit. If the mechanical structure is sound and the retrofit cost is materially less than replacement — which is the case for most machines with solid fabricated frames — a retrofit is typically the right answer.

Can you retrofit any brand or age of machine?

We can retrofit most industrial machines regardless of original manufacturer or age. We design new control systems from scratch rather than relying on proprietary manufacturer support, which means age and brand are not barriers. The main constraint is mechanical condition — if the structure is compromised, we will tell you.

How long does a retrofit take compared to a new machine?

Retrofit timelines vary by complexity, but most are faster than new machine builds. A controls-only retrofit can be completed in 4 to 12 weeks. A more comprehensive retrofit including new motion systems and automation capability typically takes 3 to 6 months — compared to 6 to 12 months for a new custom machine.

Do you provide documentation and training after the retrofit?

Yes. Every retrofit includes updated electrical drawings, PLC program documentation, and operator training on the new controls and HMI. We want your operators and maintenance team to fully understand the retrofitted machine from day one.

Have a Machine That Needs a Retrofit?

Tell us about your equipment — what it does, what’s failing or obsolete, and what you need it to do. BP Automation’s engineers will assess whether a retrofit makes sense and what it would involve.

Request a Retrofit Assessment