You say you can't afford a brand-new press? There's no money in the budget for that high-tech new coater/laminator? With the somewhat sorry state of the U.S. manufacturing industry in the past 18 months, it's no wonder converters nationwide are rethinking multi-million dollar investments in capital equipment.

But what if you could improve an existing line's productivity, the print quality of a press, or a slitting operation's efficiency for a fraction of the cost? Of course, you'd seriously investigate it, and that's where our Special Report, "Retrofit for higher profit," comes in. We spoke to a dozen different converters and equipment suppliers to learn more about modernizing lines without breaking the bank.

To get the most out of a retrofit, though, you can't just dive in head-first. Do your homework, warn those companies with experience in the process. "We really want our potential customers to explore whether a retrofit would offer a better return on investment than a new machine," advises Colm O'Shea, president of slitter/rewinder maker Conweb.

It shouldn't be unlike what you'd do when your old car keeps breaking down. Do you spend less money to repair it or more money in the long-run to purchase new? Granted, both cars will take you where you need to go—and realistically not much more. For a flexo press or coating line, though, you want and need much more. The machinery must turn out the best possible work, at the highest speed, and for the lowest cost.

To that end, our report offers a few real-world examples. When CA-based converter Fralock sought to improve its rotary die-press operation, it automated the manual registration controls with a new system from Candy Mfg. Since then, it's outfitted two other die-presses in a similar fashion. Flex-pack maker Pliant Corp.'s Macedon, NY plant taught an old press new tricks with an Omron AC-vector drive retrofit of an older PCMC flexo press. The result: A dramatic cut in downtime and reduced scrap due to more precise web tensioning.

You say even your budget for retrofits is limited? Chris Duval, sales manager of Candy Mfg., suggests looking at the four primary systems of any web-process machine: registration, infeed/outfeed tension control, inking and drying. Our handy checklist (page 40) will help you avoid five retrofitting pitfalls, too.

Retrofitting projects can run the gamut from a simple to comprehensive, but with the right balance of research, planning and cost-justification, you're bound to reap the rewards of higher profit. As managing editor Melissa Larson writes, the industry's best-kept secret represents a win-win scenario for both converters and machinery makers.

On a side note: When you think about it, "retrofitting" isn't really a very good term for the process of making a piece of your converting machinery operate better. It has too much of a backward slant to it. Upgrade, update or advancement sounds a whole lot better.