When does retrofit make sense for material handling equipment?

What is retrofit in material handling?

Retrofit means upgrading existing material handling equipment, such as carts, trolleys, or hospital beds, with new technology instead of replacing them completely. In practice, this often involves adding powered or smart components, such as an electric drive system, to improve ergonomics and performance.

When does retrofit make sense?

Retrofit makes sense when your equipment is still in good condition, but no longer performs well enough in daily use. Typical situations include:

• Equipment is functional, but too heavy to push or pull
• Staff experience fatigue or complain about workload
• Workload increases, but staffing does not
• Measured forces exceed ergonomic limits
• Wheels or components wear out quickly due to high forces
• Replacing the full fleet is too costly
• You want to reduce waste and extend asset lifetime

What are practical examples of retrofit?

Retrofit is widely used in healthcare, logistics, and industry:

• Hospital beds or patient trolleys: Reduce push force over long distances or ramps
• Laundry or food carts: Improve maneuverability in tight spaces
• Warehouse or logistics trolleys: Support heavy loads or long transport routes
• Waste collection carts: Reduce strain on uneven floors or outdoor terrain

In all cases, retrofit allows you to improve performance without replacing the entire fleet.

What are the benefits of retrofitting?

Retrofitting is a strategic choice when you want to improve performance without replacing your fleet. Key benefits:

• Lower investment: No need for large capital expenditure on new equipment
• Faster implementation: Upgrade existing equipment without long procurement processes
• Extended asset lifetime: Get more value out of equipment already in use
• More sustainable: Reduce waste by reusing instead of replacing

Read case about how this saves money & improves efficiency

Why retrofit with an electric drive wheel?

An electric drive wheel addresses the core problem behind many retrofit cases: high push and pull forces. By adding power assistance (e.g. esense FieldFit), you directly impact daily operations:

• Significantly lower push and pull forces:  Immediate reduction of physical strain for users
• Higher productivity: Staff can move heavier loads more easily and over longer distances
• Less wear and damage: Reduced manual force leads to less stress on wheels, frames, and floors
• Lower maintenance in practice: Fewer breakdowns and easier servicing through modular components
• Consistent performance: Less variation between users, shifts, or conditions

Go to esense FieldFit, retrofit trolley solution

Retrofit or replace: how to choose?

A simple guideline:

• Choose retrofit when the base equipment is still good, but needs improvement
• Choose replacement when equipment is outdated or no longer fit for purpose

In many cases, retrofit offers the best balance between cost, speed, and impact.

Do the Esense Impact Analysis and make ROI based decisions!