Used machines don't write heroic songs. They simply run - day after day. Europe owes them stability, supply and prosperity. But behind every roar of the presses and whirring of the pumps lies a silent weakness: their silence.
80% of our infrastructure works in the shadow of digitalization - reliably, but blindly.
Integrators in the machine room - what the industry is really struggling with
Digitization has long been part of everyday lifefor integrators, but one with many pitfalls. There is a lack of scalability in the project business : every customer mandate starts from scratch, legacy systems speak different languages, hardware interfaces are patchwork. Margin pressure is the daily bread, because pure hardware no longer generates profits and competition is based on price rather than quality.
Added to this is the shortage of skilled workers - the best minds keep developing similar solutions instead of creating valuable standard modules. Many integrators are driven by the desire for more service, less crisis mode and predictable revenues.
Challenges - digitalization in the brownfield is not a sure-fire success
Anyone who works in existing plants knows that the technical diversity is enormous. Every second project requires new interface technology, and old systems are difficult to connect digitally. Systems do not speak the same language - from serial RS232 to modern bus protocols, everything is represented. Integrators also encounter regulatory pitfalls and complex security requirements, especially in KRITIS areas.
Without ready-made sets of rules, open interfaces and automated audit logs, every project becomes a one-off solution.
We could resign ourselves to leaving everything as it is - or sink billions into new buildings. But anyone who knows Europe's industrial DNA knows that true progress begins where old substance meets fresh intelligence. The magic word: retrofit.
Observation is annoying - action counts
Industry 4.0 likes to talk about futuristic factories and artificial intelligence. The reality? A meshing of old and new, analog and digital, steel and code.
Most systems have no data interface. Dashboards show temperatures and running times at most - but they don't change anything.
Observation is no substitute for action. Outside, people don't optimize, they improvise.
Retrofitting changes the game:
A sensor doesn't just measure - it sounds an alarm, triggers maintenance, starts emergency operation or throttles energy - during operation.
A gateway sharpens the view of the status of entire networks, controls pumps, heating systems, cooling systems and emergency power generators in a decentralized manner.
Suddenly, monitoring costs just a few hundred euros instead of millions.
Solutions from the heart of life
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Bornemann Gewindetechnik - IoT retrofit for precision machines
Bornemann is a traditional German medium-sized company specializing in threaded spindles and precision manufacturing. Instead of investing in new machinery, the company decided to retrofit its existing milling machines - some of which are over 25 years old.
Together with an IoT integrator, vibration, current and temperature sensorswere installed to connect each machine to an edge gateway. This collects data in real time, detects deviations and forwards them to a cloud platform.
Bornemann developed its own maintenance indicatorsbased on the data obtained : if the vibration exceeds a defined limit value, a maintenance order is triggered.
In the first six months, the number of unplanned downtimesfell by almost 40% and production output increased by 8%. Today, the retrofit system is integrated into production planning - each machine sends its health status directly to the scheduling department. -
MAN Energy Solutions - Digital retrofitting of large compressors
MAN Energy Solutions in Oberhausen modernized decades-old industrial compressors in power plants without replacing them. These units, which weigh several tons, are at the heart of many energy and chemical processes - a breakdown costs millions.
By integrating vibration, pressure and oil sensors as well as intelligent control boxes, the compressors were incorporated into the in-house "Turbomachinery IoT Suite".
AI models analyze operating data every second and compare it with historical patterns. Early warnings appear automatically in the control center even before any damage can be measured.
Result: 40% fewer unplanned downtimes, 25% lower maintenance costs. The system also allows remote maintenance via secure VPN connections - technicians can intervene in real time.
MAN is now using the retrofit as a template for international decarbonization projects. -
Stadtwerke Augsburg - smart water management through digital retrofitting
Stadtwerke Augsburg operates an extensive network of pumping stations, wells and treatment plants - many of which date back to the 1970s. Instead of investing millions in new buildings, the utility opted for gradual digitalization through retrofitting.
Old control systems were retrofitted with IoT gateways, while pressure, level and current sensors supply data to a Siemens cloud platform.
This automatically detects leaks, inefficient running times and abnormal energy consumption. In the event of heavy rainfall, the system reacts autonomously, opens relief shafts and equalizes pressures between pumping stations.
The result: 15 % less energy consumption, 20 % less maintenance and fully automated documentation in accordance with the Water Resources Act and BSI guidelines.
Augsburg is thus considered a pioneer among German municipalities in terms of how to transfer existing infrastructure into the digital age - without replacing it.
Every sector, every solution, a pattern: digitalization is not built - it is connected.
The new logic - retrofit platforms that really scale
Anyone thinking retrofit through to the end today is relying on more than isolated solutions. The key is a platform that connects different technical systems with each other, remainsretrofit-capable and modular - regardless of the age of the systems and free of proprietary boundaries.
What is important?
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Manufacturer-independent connection: Machines, pumps or infrastructure are integrated flexibly and without a project marathon.
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Plug-and-play interfaces: Standard protocols (e.g. Modbus, OPC UA, MQTT) replace special programming - integration becomes child's play.
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No-code control logic: engineers define rules and regulations using drag-and-drop, without developers behind them.
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Security and compliance are automatically included: encrypted transmission, rights management and auditable logsensure regulatory security - in energy, KRITIS or franchise networks.
Those who want long-term scalability rely on platform models in which templates and automation modules can be reused as required once they have been developed.
Integrators and operators thus create predictable revenues, service products (white label, SaaS, OEM) and new markets - without the bottleneck of the individual project.
In short: the future of inventory digitization belongs to flexible, active retrofit platforms - as a foundation for independence and growth.
VIONpursues this approach as an open, scalable and industry-agnostic platform.
Conclusion - connecting the future instead of building the future
Retrofit is not a compromise, it is Europe's superpower.
Efficiency, operational reliability and new business models are created where analog legacy meets digital controllability.
Value is created where digitalization does not remain isolated, but becomes a shared, actively controllable platform.
The future does not begin with the big switch - but with small, clever connections that get the best out of the existing system.
