Process performance
Review of cycles, temperatures, treatment times, flows, actual capacity, stability and quality of the process result.
AUDIT • RETROFIT • OPTIMISATION
Industrial thermal system retrofit & modernisation, upgrade what exists instead of starting again.
CFI Systems modernises existing furnaces, incinerators, cremation equipment, thermal cleaning ovens, pyrolysis furnaces, precious-metal recovery furnaces and other industrial thermal processes.
The objective is to improve safety, availability, compliance, energy consumption, process quality and emission control while retaining equipment that remains technically relevant.
Audit • Diagnosis
Modernisation • Compliance upgrades
Performance • Energy
From existing equipment to improved performance
01Audit & site survey
02Technical & compliance diagnosis
03Modernisation scenarios
04Integration & site works
05Testing, tuning & optimisation
Keep what worksReuse structures and equipment that remain suitable for the future duty
Upgrade what mattersCombustion, automation, safety, filtration, instrumentation, refractory systems and handling
Reduce energy useOptimise combustion, extraction, thermal losses and heat recovery
Prepare for the futureScalable architecture, new recipes, new constraints and easier maintenance
Audit & diagnosis
Understand the installation before deciding what should be replaced.
A relevant retrofit starts with a technical review of the existing equipment: furnace structure, refractory lining, combustion, ductwork, filtration, automation, instrumentation, safety systems, handling, energy consumption and actual operating conditions.
CFI Systems identifies the limiting points, the equipment that can remain in service and the modifications that provide a genuine improvement without unnecessarily rebuilding the complete installation.
Combustion & afterburning
Burners, fuel trains, combustion air, O₂, negative pressure, modulation, flame safety and consistency between installed power and actual thermal duty.
Automation & supervision
Condition of PLCs, HMIs, drives, networks, alarms, data logging, remote access and spare-parts availability.
Flue-gas treatment
Temperatures, pressure drop, reagent dosing, filtration, extraction, emissions monitoring and suitability for future operating conditions.
Mechanical systems, refractory & handling
Doors, carts, tables, conveyors, structures, sealing, insulation, refractory systems, anchors and maintenance access, with identification of repair or relining requirements.
Heat exchangers & energy recovery
Condition, fouling, pressure drop and performance of water-tube or smoke-tube heat exchangers, including replacement, resizing and heat-recovery options.
Modernisation strategy
Replace what limits the installation and retain what remains technically sound.
The best solution is not always complete replacement. A mechanical structure, furnace chamber or part of the ductwork may remain suitable while the control system, burners or filtration require major modernisation.
CFI Systems develops several technical scenarios to compare investment, shutdown duration, expected gains, risks and future scalability.
Targeted retrofitUpgrade one limiting subsystem without heavy intervention on the rest of the installation.
Global retrofitCoordinated modernisation of combustion, automation, filtration, safety and energy systems.
Capacity upgradeAdapt an existing installation to new throughput or materials where the original design allows it.
Compliance preparationTechnical modifications intended to meet requirements applicable to the future operating duty.
Retrofit areas
A modernisation project can target one subsystem or the complete thermal line.
CFI Systems works across the interfaces between mechanical, thermal, flue-gas, electrical and automation systems so that a local improvement does not simply create a new bottleneck elsewhere.
1
Combustion
Replacement or resizing of burners, fuel trains, fans, valves and air/fuel control strategy.
2
Automation & supervision
Migration of obsolete PLCs, new HMIs, data logging, alarms, remote access and new operating modes.
3
Safety
Interlocks, emergency stops, flame control, doors, overheating protection, negative pressure and safe-state sequences.
4
Flue-gas treatment
Cooling, reagent injection, filters, extraction, analysers, stacks and adaptation to new emissions requirements.
5
Energy recovery
Heat exchangers, hot water, steam, thermal networks or electricity generation from waste heat where appropriate.
6
Refractory, mechanical & handling
Doors, carts, tables, conveyors, cooling, insulation, refractory systems, anchors and improvements to operator ergonomics.
Automation & obsolescence
Replace an ageing control system without losing process knowledge.
PLC migration should not mean blindly copying the old program. Retrofit is an opportunity to document sequences, remove accumulated workarounds, improve diagnostics and secure critical functions.
CFI Systems can revise functional analyses, integrate new instrumentation, modernise the operator interface and simplify future maintenance.
01Migration of obsolete PLCs and HMIs
02Revision of functional analyses and sequences
03Improved data logging, trends and diagnostics
04Communication with analysers, drives and third-party equipment
05Secure remote support according to site IT policy
Compliance upgrades & safety
Adapt the installation to the requirements applicable to its future duty.
An older installation may have been built to standards different from those currently applicable, or may have evolved over time without a complete review of safety functions.
CFI Systems can perform a technical diagnosis, identify gaps within its scope and integrate the required changes to combustion, instrumentation, automation, flue-gas systems and safety functions. Final regulatory acceptance remains dependent on the framework applicable to the site and the competent authorities or notified bodies where required.
Risk assessmentIdentification of hazardous scenarios and definition of prevention and safe-state functions.
CombustionPurge, ignition, flame monitoring, fuel/air pressures and operating permissives.
ProcessOvertemperature, pressure, negative pressure, O₂, cooling and abnormal reactions.
DocumentationUpdated drawings, functional analyses, manuals and technical files corresponding to the retrofit work.
Emissions & flue-gas treatment
Upgrade the flue-gas system together with the process.
Changing the material treated, increasing throughput or modifying furnace temperatures can shift the operating point of the complete gas-treatment line. A coherent retrofit therefore checks cooling, reagent dosing, filtration, extraction and instrumentation together.
1
Measure the existing system
Flows, temperatures, pressure drops, concentrations and actual equipment behaviour.
2
Gas cooling
Adapt heat exchangers or cooling equipment to new temperatures and downstream treatment requirements.
3
Reagents
Review storage, dosing, mixing and control according to pollutants and performance targets.
4
Filtration
Assess filter media, filtration area, cleaning system, sealing and operating margin.
5
Extraction
Recalculate pressure losses and fan duty to maintain the required furnace negative pressure.
6
Monitoring
Integrate or modernise emissions analysers and data logging for relevant process parameters.
Heat exchangers & waste-heat boilers
Replace or resize a heat exchanger that has become a bottleneck.
On an existing thermal installation, the heat exchanger is often a critical item: corrosion, fouling, leakage, reduced efficiency, difficult cleaning or insufficient capacity after a process upgrade. CFI Systems can study its replacement and integration into the existing flue-gas line.
Water-tube heat exchangers
Water-tube architecture suited to higher thermal duties or installations requiring strong heat-transfer dynamics and integration into a hot-water or energy-recovery loop.
Smoke-tube / fire-tube heat exchangers
Smoke-tube or fire-tube architecture selected according to thermal duty, available footprint, maintenance access and the required level of heat recovery.
Like-for-like replacement or resizing
Adaptation of flue-gas and water interfaces, supports, thermal expansion, pumps, valves, instrumentation and control, with the option to resize capacity for a new operating regime.
Cleaning & accessibility
Design takes account of deposits, dust and cleaning requirements: access doors, inspection hatches, mechanical cleaning or online cleaning devices where appropriate.
Hydraulic loop & safety
Review of flows, temperatures, pumps, expansion vessel, safety valves, pressures, bypasses and protections required for integration of the replacement exchanger.
Downstream temperature & filtration
The replacement is sized to deliver a flue-gas temperature compatible with neutralisation, filtration and extraction without creating excessive pressure drop.
The water-tube or smoke-tube choice is project-specific: recoverable duty, temperature, flue-gas quality, fouling risk, available space, hydraulic requirements, maintenance and downstream equipment all influence the decision.
Energy performance
Turn historical losses into measurable gains.
Older installations may operate with high excess air, infiltration, very hot flue gases, inefficient motors or heat exchangers that are undersized, fouled or obsolete. The audit ranks improvement actions according to technical and economic impact.
Waste heat can be recovered by replacing or adding a water-tube or smoke-tube heat exchanger, then used as hot water or steam and, on suitable duty and operating-hour profiles, converted into electricity.
01Combustion tuning and modernisation
02Replacement or resizing of heat exchangers
03Insulation, sealing and reduction of thermal losses
04Useful heat recovery or electricity generation where appropriate
05Metering and KPIs to verify gains after retrofit
Refractory systems & relining
Carry out local repairs or complete relining when the furnace condition requires it.
In a retrofit, refractory condition directly affects safety, energy efficiency and process stability. CFI Systems can integrate refractory repairs, partial replacement or full rebricking / relining according to the actual condition of the furnace.
Assessment of the existing lining
Inspection of bricks, castables, fibre linings, joints, roofs, hearths and hot spots, including analysis of cracking, distortion, wear and infiltration.
Localised repairs
Targeted interventions on damaged areas where complete relining is not yet required: joints, wear parts, local corrective works and reinforcement of identified weak points.
Full rebricking / relining
Removal of the existing lining, review of supports and anchors, definition of the new refractory concept and complete reconstruction of the chamber or critical zones.
Compatibility with the process
The new lining concept is selected according to temperatures, thermal gradients, chemical attack, cycling, thermal shock and mechanical constraints of the installation.
Dry-out & heat-up
The dry-out, heat-up and return-to-service programme is prepared to protect the new refractory and secure the restart of the furnace.
Lifetime & thermal losses
The lining concept influences heat losses, furnace thermal stability, availability and the future frequency of maintenance interventions.
Obsolescence & maintainability
Reduce the risk of downtime caused by components that can no longer be sourced.
Equipment can still operate correctly while becoming fragile because its PLCs, drives, sensors, burners or interfaces are no longer supported. Retrofit allows these risks to be addressed before a failure leaves the site without a practical solution.
CFI Systems favours documented architectures, maintainable industrial components and maintenance access designed into the modernisation.
Obsolescence mappingIdentify critical components and their future availability.
StandardisationReduce the number of references and select maintainable industrial components.
AccessibilityImprove access to equipment requiring periodic adjustment, inspection or replacement.
DocumentationUpdate drawings, schematics, bills of materials and software backups after intervention.
Site works & commissioning
Prepare the retrofit to minimise production shutdown.
On an existing installation, downtime is often one of the main constraints. A large part of the work should therefore be completed in advance: surveys, engineering, prefabrication, programming, workshop testing and site preparation.
1
Surveys & engineering
Site dimensions, interface review, drawings and validation of the final arrangement.
2
Off-site preparation
Fabrication, wiring, programming and testing of subassemblies before the planned shutdown.
3
Planned shutdown
Detailed sequencing of removal, modification and installation activities.
4
Functional testing
Verification of safety functions, actuators, sensors, automation and interlocks.
5
Process tuning
Combustion, negative pressure, temperatures, filtration, energy consumption and recipes.
6
Training & handover
Documentation, operator/maintenance training and support during restart.
Measurable objectives
A retrofit should deliver a result that can be verified.
Objectives are defined before the work: temperature stability, lower energy consumption, fewer shutdowns, improved availability, easier maintenance, lower emissions or increased capacity.
Where sufficient data exists, CFI Systems establishes before/after indicators to verify the actual effect of the modifications.
01Availability and reduction of unplanned shutdowns
02Specific energy consumption per cycle or per tonne
03Stability of temperature, O₂, negative pressure and other process variables
04Flue-gas treatment performance and emissions levels
05Maintenance time, diagnostics and spare-parts availability
From diagnosis to restart
A project method designed for existing installations.
Retrofit requires more knowledge of the existing installation than a new-build project. Undocumented interfaces, historical modifications and building constraints are therefore addressed from the beginning of the study.
1
Audit & surveys
Technical condition, measurements, available documentation, site constraints and client objectives.
2
Diagnosis
Identify root causes, risks and the actual limits of the installation.
3
Scenarios
Compare different levels of modernisation: combustion, heat exchangers, filtration, automation, energy recovery, cost, expected gains, required shutdown and scalability.
4
Engineering & prefabrication
Drawings, automation, fabrication and testing prepared before intervention on site.
5
Site works & commissioning
Removal, installation, testing, tuning and validation of the upgraded system.
6
Performance follow-up
Review operating data after restart and apply further optimisation where required.
CFI Systems approach
Modernise the process as a whole, not simply replace old components.
A new burner on a poor-draft system, a new PLC with unreliable instrumentation or a new filter without reviewing gas cooling will not solve root causes. CFI Systems focuses on the interfaces between the different disciplines of the installation.
The objective is not to make the installation newer. The objective is to make it better.
Safety, performance, energy, availability, emissions and maintainability define the priorities of the retrofit.
01 · AUDIT
Understand before acting
Measure actual operation and distinguish root causes from symptoms.
02 · RETAIN
Reuse what still works
Control investment by retaining technically sound equipment.
03 · UPGRADE
Target the weak points
Combustion, controls, safety, flue gas, energy or mechanical systems according to the diagnosis.
04 · MEASURE
Verify the gains
Compare before/after data to confirm the result of the retrofit work.
Frequently asked questions
Industrial thermal system retrofit & modernisation.
The right level of modernisation depends on the actual condition of the equipment, its future duty and the cost of full replacement.
What is an industrial furnace retrofit?
It means modernising all or part of an existing installation to improve safety, performance, availability, compliance, energy consumption or capacity without necessarily replacing the complete furnace.
Which equipment can be modernised?
Burners, fuel trains, fans, PLCs, supervision, instrumentation, doors, carts, conveyors, refractory systems, heat exchangers, filters, extraction fans, analysers and many other subsystems can be reviewed.
Can CFI Systems include refractory relining in a retrofit project?
Yes. A retrofit can include local refractory repairs, partial replacement or full rebricking / relining. The study covers furnace condition, operating temperatures, thermal cycling, mechanical constraints, dry-out requirements for the new refractory and the effect on the shutdown schedule.
Can an obsolete PLC be replaced?
Yes. Migration can include a new PLC, new HMI, revised functional analysis, new sensors, data logging and improved diagnostics.
Can CFI Systems carry out compliance upgrades?
CFI Systems can diagnose gaps within its technical scope and integrate required changes to combustion, automation, safety, instrumentation and flue-gas treatment. Final regulatory acceptance depends on the applicable framework and competent authorities or notified bodies where required.
Can an old furnace use less energy after retrofit?
Often yes. Improvement opportunities may include excess air, burner modulation, insulation, infiltration, fan speeds, heat exchangers and standby strategy. Expected gains are assessed from actual operating data.
Can only the filtration system be upgraded?
Yes, but interactions with the furnace, afterburning stage, flue-gas temperature, reagent dosing and extraction fan must be checked so that the problem is not simply moved elsewhere.
Can CFI Systems replace an existing heat exchanger?
Yes. CFI Systems can study replacement of a water-tube or smoke-tube / fire-tube heat exchanger, either like-for-like or resized. The study covers flue-gas flow and temperature, recoverable duty, pressure drop, hydraulic loop, safety devices, cleaning access and compatibility with downstream filtration.
Can heat recovery be added to an existing installation?
Yes where the thermal resource and operating profile justify it. Heat can be recovered as hot water or steam and, in suitable cases, converted into electricity.
How can production shutdown be minimised during retrofit?
By completing as much surveying, engineering, prefabrication, programming and testing as possible before shutdown. Site work is then organised around a detailed removal, installation, testing and restart sequence.
Is retrofit always cheaper than new equipment?
No. If the structure, refractory systems and several major functions are all at end of life, replacement may be more rational. The audit is used to compare scenarios before deciding.
Which installations can CFI Systems audit?
Thermal equipment within CFI Systems' areas of expertise: cremation, incineration, thermal cleaning, pyrolysis, precious-metal recovery and associated industrial thermal systems.
CFI Systems
Retrofit draws on our full range of thermal-process expertise.
CFI Systems works on cremation systems, incineration systems, thermal cleaning & paint stripping ovens, pyrolysis furnaces and precious metal recovery furnaces, together with their combustion, flue-gas treatment, automation and heat-recovery equipment.
Explore all our solutions
Modernisation project
Tell us about the existing installation and what you want to improve.
Obsolescence, energy use, safety, emissions, capacity, automation, combustion, filtration, heat-exchanger replacement, refractory relining or energy recovery: CFI Systems can start with a targeted audit before defining the retrofit scenario.
contact@cfi-systems.com
Centre d’Affaires Giennois – Bureau B9 · 1 rue Antoine de Lavoisier · 45500 Gien · France
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