When a critical component fails on production equipment, replacing the entire assembly is not always the best solution.
Everight Position recently worked on Ethernet slip ring retrofit with a customer in the packaging industry whose printing machine faced exactly that situation. The customer had an existing LTN SC104 Series slip ring installed on a machine, responsible for both power transmission and Ethernet communication. The Ethernet portion of the slip ring needed replacement, but changes in product availability meant that replacing only the Ethernet section was no longer a straightforward option.
Slip rings such as the LTN SC104 series are a ‘two-part’ solution, stacking larger power circuits (right, blue) with a compact ethernet sliping (left, silver) on the back. As ethernet signals are more likely to need replacement due to their greater noise sensitivity than power signals, this allows for easier and less expensive replacements, as now high powered wires are serviced.
The conventional solution would have required replacing both the power and Ethernet portions of the slip ring. For the customer, that meant more than simply purchasing additional hardware. Replacing the complete assembly would have increased the cost of the repair, required significantly more installation work, and involved additional personnel with different electrical and mechanical know-how. Most importantly, the equipment was already down, making speed an important part of the solution.
Finding a Better Retrofit Approach
Ethernet signals are much more sensitive than power transmission to electrical noise and contact wear; a modest increase in contact resistance may have little practical effect on a power circuit, but the same degradation can compromise Ethernet signal integrity and communication reliability.
Working with Servotecnica, Everight identified an Ethernet slip ring based on an existing Servotecnica design that could meet the application’s communication requirements. The remaining challenge was mechanical integration as the new Ethernet section needed to interface directly with the customer’s existing LTN power slip ring without requiring modification to the machine.
Everight developed a customized mechanical mounting solution that allowed the Servotecnica Ethernet slip ring to connect with the existing LTN power section. The result was a hybrid retrofit that preserved the portion of the existing slip ring that was still functioning while replacing only the section that needed attention.
When the Standard Replacement Isn’t the Best Replacement
Obsolescence (see our blog poste here), ownership changes, product-line changes, and discontinued components can create difficult problems for equipment operators. In many cases, the apparent replacement option can lead to a much larger machine modification than the original failure would seem to require.
That is where an application-focused approach can make a significant difference.
Rather than asking only, “What replaces this part?”, Everight works with customers to understand the complete application:
- What actually needs to be replaced?
- What portions of the existing system can remain?
- What mechanical and electrical interfaces need to be maintained?
- Can an existing product be adapted to minimize changes to the machine?
- How can downtime, installation effort, and total project cost be reduced?
In this application, those questions led to a solution that combined an existing LTN power slip ring with a Servotecnica Ethernet slip ring through a customized mechanical interface.
Need to Replace an Obsolete or Unsupported Slip Ring?
A discontinued or unavailable slip ring does not necessarily mean the entire system needs to be redesigned.
Everight Position works with customers and leading slip ring manufacturers such as Servotecnica to develop solutions for new applications, replacements, Ethernet slip ring retrofits, and difficult legacy installations.
If you are facing a slip ring replacement where the original solution is obsolete, unavailable, or requires more modification than expected, contact Everight Position to discuss the application.
Everight Position
evrtp.com
856-727-9500
info@evrtp.com
