Case study · Precision pumps & injection systems

Upgrading legacy high-pressure pumps: a control system retrofit

For an industrial client using high-pressure processes, IRIAN Mecatronics performed a complete refurbishment of two positive displacement pumps. The project covered both mechanical reconditioning and the development of a new control system to restore and secure their operation.

Client: Industrial user or R&D lab working with high-pressure processes.
Field: High-Pressure Processes
Technique: Mechanical retrofit & control system modernization

01 — The research question

How do you maintain or upgrade precision equipment when manufacturer support is gone?

A piece of lab or production equipment can be mechanically sound but limited by an obsolete control system, recurring failures, or unavailable parts. Buying new is not always possible or desirable, whether for cost or lead time reasons, or because the original equipment has specific qualities that are no longer available on the market.

In this project, the client was facing performance degradation and failures on two critical high-pressure pumps. With standard solutions (manufacturer maintenance or replacement) being unsuitable, they chose to entrust the refurbishment of their precision pumps & injection systems to a specialist capable of both restoring the mechanics and reinventing the controls.

The challenge: Modernize the control system and user interface of a precision mechanical asset without degrading its original performance and without access to the initial manufacturer's support or drawings.

02 — Our approach

A two-step approach: Restore the mechanics, reinvent the controls

Our approach aimed to both restore the pumps' mechanical integrity to guarantee their reliability and to completely replace the control system to improve its precision and user-friendliness.

Restoring the original mechanical integrity

Without manufacturer documentation, the first challenge was to diagnose the exact source of the wear. We conducted a complete inspection to identify every faulty component. The principle was to repair or remanufacture these parts as exact replicas to restore reliability and pressure containment, thereby extending the equipment's service life.
Developing a modern, intuitive control system

The original control system was obsolete. Rather than repairing it, we developed a modern automation system and a new graphical interface. This custom solution ensures perfect compatibility with the existing mechanics and allows the operator to finely control flow rate and pressure while monitoring key parameters in real time, just as on our custom HPHT test benches & pilot plants.

03 — The outcome

What this equipment made possible

The refurbished pumps returned to optimal operation, with efficiency, reliability, and a level of control that were improved compared to their state before our intervention.

Is your equipment mechanically sound but held back by an obsolete control system?

Aerospace

A common challenge is upgrading a hydraulic test bench whose electronics are no longer supported. The principle of keeping the power mechanics while replacing the control cabinet, sensors, and supervision software, as on this 3-in-1 geotechnical test bench (UCS, Tensile), would be identical.

Energy production

To renovate the regulation system of a rotating machine, the approach of adding modern sensors (vibration, temperature) and centralizing data on a new supervision platform to enable predictive maintenance would be the same.

Food & Beverage

For a production line automation system that no longer guarantees regulatory traceability, replacing the controller and operator interface, and integrating new data collection functions, would follow the same logic.

04 — Specifications

The values for this project. Every system is custom-built, so they adapt to your requirements.

Show specifications · Syringe pump / Positive displacement pump · Pressure, flow rate, temperature

Technical specifications — Upgrading legacy high-pressure pumps: a control system retrofit
Pump type	Syringe pump / Positive displacement pump
Monitored parameters	Pressure, flow rate, temperature

IRIAN Mecatronics designs and builds custom high-pressure, high-temperature equipment for research laboratories, technical centres and industry.

About the company

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05 — FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can this retrofit approach be applied to equipment other than high-pressure pumps?

Yes, absolutely. The principle of separating the mechanics (often robust and durable) from its control system (which becomes obsolete more quickly) applies to many types of laboratory and production equipment: reactors, presses, mechanical test benches... The approach remains the same: a thorough mechanical audit, followed by the design of a new, custom control system. This is an approach we use, for example, on Custom HPHT Reactors & Cells.

How is regulatory compliance (PED, ATEX) handled when modernizing existing equipment?

The compliance of the modified equipment is a priority. Our engineering team conducts a full risk analysis. If the equipment falls under the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED), a new conformity assessment is performed on the entire refurbished system. If the work is done in a potentially explosive atmosphere, the new control system and instrumentation are designed and certified for the required ATEX zone.

Can the pump's new control system be integrated into our plant's SCADA system?

Yes, that is one of the major benefits of modernization. The new control system is based on standard industrial PLCs. It is designed to communicate via common protocols (Modbus, Profinet, OPC-UA...), allowing for seamless integration with existing supervision (SCADA) or manufacturing execution (MES) systems to centralize control and data collection.

Does modernizing a pump allow its original performance (pressure, flow rate) to be increased?

The primary goal of a retrofit is to restore, secure, and better control the equipment's nominal performance. Increasing the maximum pressure or flow rate is a different type of project that requires a complete mechanical re-evaluation of the structure, motor, and components. If this analysis is positive, a performance increase can be considered, but a refurbishment focuses on improving control and reliability within the original design limits.

Is your equipment limited by an obsolete control system or an unsupported mechanical failure?

Describe your challenge and the performance you are targeting. Our engineering team will analyze the feasibility of a refurbishment and get back to you.

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