5 Best OEE Software Tools for Legacy Equipment (Retrofit) (2026 Review)

"We can't track OEE on Line 4 because the machine is from 1995 and runs on relay logic."

This is the most common excuse for the "Hidden Factory."

In FMCG and General Manufacturing, reliable mechanical machines often run for 30+ years. They are workhorses, but they are "Data Silent." They don't have an Ethernet port, and they certainly don't speak MQTT.

Replacing them costs millions. Retrofitting them with OEE Software costs a fraction of that.

In 2026, the best OEE tools for legacy equipment are Agnostic. They don't care if the machine has a computer or not.

They use external sensors, eyes (cameras), ears (vibration), and clamps (power), to digitize the heartbeat of the machine.

Here are the 5 best tools to teach your old iron new tricks.

The Comparison Matrix (2026)

1. Fabrico: The "Smart Overlay" Platform

Verdict: The best choice for factories that want to modernize legacy lines without expensive PLC re-programming.

Fabrico uses a "Hybrid" approach to retrofitting. We can pull data from an old PLC if accessible, but for truly "dumb" machines, we use IoT Gateways and Computer Vision.

Why It Wins on Legacy Retrofit:

• The "Vision" Bridge: Old machines often lack sensors for "Jam" or "Blocked." Fabrico installs a camera overhead. The AI "watches" the legacy machine to count parts and detect stops, bypassing the need for internal sensors entirely.

• IoT Gateways: For basic signals (Run/Stop), Fabrico provides simple industrial gateways that wire into the machine's stack light or relay output. It’s a physical connection that takes minutes, not days.

• Unified Dashboard: Fabrico displays your 1990 filler next to your 2026 packer on the same dashboard. It normalizes the data so you can compare OEE across generations of equipment.

Best For: FMCG Packaging lines, Bottling, and Mixed-Age factories.

2. Amper: The "No-Touch" Electrical Monitor

Verdict: The easiest way to get basic "Run/Stop" data from a machine without cutting a single wire.

Amper's innovation is using the Power Cord as the sensor. You clamp a Current Transformer (CT) around the power cable.

Pros:

• Zero Integration: You don't need to talk to the machine controls engineer. If the machine uses power, Amper can monitor it.

• Machine Learning: It learns the "electrical signature" of a jam vs. a normal cycle.

Cons:

• Lack of Granularity: It knows the machine is working hard, but it doesn't know what it's making (Product ID) or why it stopped (Error Code).

• No Quality Data: It cannot count scrap.

Best For: Job shops and isolated legacy machines with no PLC access.

3. Vorne XL: The "Hardware" Solution

Verdict: The classic choice for adding a "Bolt-On" brain to an old machine.

Vorne isn't just software; it's a hardware appliance (The XL Unit). You mount it to the side of your old machine and wire in a photo-eye sensor.

Pros:

• Independent: It doesn't rely on your server or the machine's PLC. It is its own computer.

• Operator Interface: It gives the operator a barcode scanner and a keypad to manually input "Downtime Reasons," which old machines can't provide.

Cons:

• Siloed Data: Unless you use their API, the data lives on the device.

• Installation: Requires running conduit and mounting hardware at every machine.

Best For: High-speed continuous lines needing a visual scoreboard.

4. MachineMetrics: The "Analog" Digitizer

Verdict: Excellent for retrofitting older CNCs and metalworking equipment.

MachineMetrics provides an "I/O Module" that connects to the analog relays of older equipment (e.g., a 1998 Haas).

Pros:

• High Frequency: Captures analog signals (like spindle load voltage) even from old equipment.

• Tablet Interface: Gives the operator a modern touchscreen to interact with the old machine.

Cons:

• CNC Focused: Features are heavily skewed toward machining cycles, less useful for a packaging conveyor.

• Cost: High hardware and subscription cost.

Best For: Legacy Machine Shops.

5. Samsara: The "Gateway" Giant

Verdict: A rugged, reliable way to pull data from simple assets like pumps, generators, and compressors.

Samsara’s Industrial Gateway (IG) is built to be thrown into a dirty cabinet and just work.

Pros:

• Cloud Native: Data flows instantly to the cloud with minimal configuration.

• Environmentals: Great for adding temperature/humidity sensors to old equipment to track health.

Cons:

• Not an OEE Tool: It tracks health and status, but lacks the deep "Production Scheduling" and "Job Context" needed for true OEE calculation.

Best For: Utilities and Facility Assets.

Conclusion: Don't Replace—Upgrade.

Your legacy machines have paid for themselves ten times over. Don't retire them just because they are quiet.

• If you want Electrical Monitoring, buy Amper.

• If you want a Hardware Scoreboard, buy Vorne.

• If you want to give your legacy machines Computer Vision "Eyes" and a modern OEE/CMMS Brain, Fabrico is the 2026 solution.