Do you have a dosing plant, a mixing room or a compound line that still works well mechanically, but whose automation is now obsolete? Or worse, you don’t even have a PLC? You don’t need to buy a new plant. With industrial revamping and retrofitting, Multi Data brings you the productivity of a new machine at a fraction of the cost, extending your plant’s production life by another 15-20 years.

We have specialised in the automation of dosing and mixing plants for the rubber and plastic sector since 1994. In thirty years we have carried out hundreds of revamping and retrofitting projects on internal mixers, rubber mixing rooms, PVC compound lines and chemical dosing plants of every brand and generation.

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Revamping or Retrofitting? Which solution is right for you

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but they refer to interventions with different objectives:

In many cases Multi Data carries out both interventions in an integrated way: the physical components are updated and a modern software platform is added, transforming a dated plant into a digital production station compliant with Industry 4.0.

Before and after: revamping examples on dosing plants

Obsolete electrical panels replaced and rewired, with new control and DosareX software.

What Multi Data actually does

Every intervention is preceded by an analysis of the existing plant. We don’t sell standard solutions: every revamping is designed around the customer’s real operational needs. Here are the most frequent areas of intervention:

Rubber mixing room revamping

• Replacement or update of the control panel of the internal mixer, of any brand, even very old
• Installation of a new PLC (Siemens, Rockwell) with a dedicated PC interface
• Integration of scales and weighing systems for chemical dosing (carbon black, silica, accelerators, colorants)
• DosareX software for complete management of recipes, batches, traceability and mixer supervision
• Energy and temperature monitoring of the mixer cycle: consumption optimisation
• Management of calender, batch off and downstream machines

Plastic compound plant revamping

• Automation update of PVC lines: pneumatic conveying, additive dosing, turbo-mixers
• Retrofitting of gravimetric dosers and feeders upstream of extruders
• MultiStore integration for recipe control, traceability and ERP/MES interface
• Alarm management, real consumption and production history

Replacement of obsolete electrical panels

• Design and construction of new electrical panels to replace systems with out-of-production components
• Replacement of the PLC only, when the panel is in good condition
• Update of safety systems (category 3, EN ISO 13849) to current standards
• On-site intervention with minimal downtime: in many cases the panel changeover takes just a few days

Why it pays off: the cost comparison

The question we are asked most often is: is it not better to buy a new machine? The answer depends on the case, but the numbers almost always favour revamping for plants with a still-solid mechanical structure.

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DosareX and MultiStore: dedicated software that transforms your plant

Every revamping or retrofitting project carried out by Multi Data can include the installation of DosareX or MultiStore, our proprietary software systems developed over 30 years of field work with rubber and plastic manufacturers. DosareX and MultiStore are modular systems that grow with your needs:

• Recipe and production order management with an intuitive touch-screen operator interface
• Real-time supervision of mixers, extruders, scales, calender and batch off
• Complete traceability: every mix, every batch, every ingredient is recorded and searchable
• Alarm management and reset without unnecessary production stops
• Energy consumption monitoring and mixer cycle temperature curves
• Integration with company ERP/MES via OPC-UA, Modbus, SQL database, web service
• Remotely upgradable: new functions without changing the hardware

DosareX and MultiStore are installed in dozens of plants worldwide, in companies that produce compounds for pipes, cables, technical articles, tyres and PVC products. They are not a generic software adapted for the purpose: they were created and developed for specific tasks in plastic and rubber mixing rooms.

How our revamping process works

A revamping project with Multi Data is structured in five phases. We never start with a blind quote: first we understand the plant, then we tell you exactly what can be done and how much it costs.

1. Analysis and site survey
We visit the plant or collect the technical documentation to assess the state of the automation, identify obsolete components and understand the real production needs. No cost for the initial assessment.

2. Technical design
We define the project: list of components to replace, architecture of the new control system, electrical diagram, DosareX software specifications. Everything documented and shared before starting.

3. Construction and workshop testing
The new electrical panel is built and tested in our workshop in Castelnuovo Rangone (MO). The DosareX or MultiStore software is configured and simulated together with the customer (FAT) before installation on site.

4. Installation and commissioning
Installation is planned to minimise downtime, often scheduling it around long weekends and local or national holidays, or when the factory is not producing. Our team is present until final testing and operator training.

5. After-sales support
We provide real-time remote assistance, maintenance contracts and software updates. Our help desk is managed directly by our specialised technicians.

Frequently asked questions about revamping

How much does revamping a rubber or PVC dosing plant cost?
The cost depends on the plant and the extent of the intervention, but typically ranges between 20% and 40% of the cost of an equivalent new plant. For a medium-sized rubber mixing plant with a complete panel replacement and DosareX installation, indicative values range between EUR 60,000 and EUR 100,000. We offer a no-obligation assessment.

Can revamping be done on any brand of rubber mixer?
Yes. We work on plants of every brand: HF Mixing, Farrel, Pomini, Comerio, Kobelco, Guix and many others. Thanks to direct relationships with manufacturers, we can obtain technical documentation even for very old machines.

I have an old PVC turbo mixer without documentation, can it be upgraded?
Absolutely yes. We know the process so deeply that we build panels and software for new turbo mixers, and this lets us modify any existing mixer.

How long is the production downtime during revamping?
The actual plant downtime for the panel replacement depends on the plant complexity and how many panels need replacing, on average from 5 to 25 working days. We always plan the intervention to minimise the impact on production, and we guarantee, with a penalty clause, the day on which production will restart.

Does DosareX work even on very old plants without an original PLC?
Absolutely. Many of our customers have installed DosareX on machines that had never had a PLC, obtaining immediate benefits in terms of repeatability, traceability and reduced waste.

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