Preventative Robot Maintenance
Whenever making a purchase, it can be easy to forget that your new toy won’t stay shiny on its own. This is why proper industrial robot maintenance must be at the forefront of any plans relating to future success.
Any downtime on a line can cost major resources, so to have the system running your production suddenly breakdown can be a catastrophe, especially during peak seasons.
To prevent the probability of deterioration and component failure, one must master the art of preventive and predictive maintenance. We will discuss the best practices for keeping your factories running at optimal efficiency.
When industrial workcells are properly maintained, they can last for years. Knowing the basics of how to handle robot maintenance can solve some of the most common problems you might experience with malfunctioning robots.
What Is Preventive Maintenance in Robotics?
Let’s begin by defining preventative maintenance. This type of manufacturing automation maintenance refers to the conditions robotic workcell are stored or anchored. This condition monitoring tracks internal stats such as levels of pressure, temperature, and humidity. The perks of this include real-time and historical data on trends, access for operators to detect and diagnose system errors, and alerts to human operators when needed.
Following the hardware’s manual is the easiest way to assure your intelligent hardware is placed and installed in the ideal space. It is important to check the manual for your specific robotic system to see what time frame is best for your needs.
The more time in between automation maintenance inspections, the more likely that parts and components will break down or malfunction. Scheduling routine maintenance to understand every corner of the machine can keep hairline fractures from breaking the dam. Common issues include:
- Position deviation: Despite being programmed to do otherwise, poorly maintained robots can veer off course of their intended perimeters.
- Repeatability issues: There is a decline in the ability to complete consistent and repetitive movements.
- Cable damage: As cords age, it begins affecting the connection between power and data transmitting cords, wires, and possible electrical fires.
- Loss of programs: The breakdown of controls software leads to lost data.
- Safety: If a robot starts acting outside of its programming, it can become unpredictable and put staff at risk of injury.
To avoid injury or downtime, preventive maintenance must be used to gauge your robot’s health. By identifying and correcting system errors, you can get ahead of any automation equipment maintenance issues that may hurt your bottom line.
Thanks to RaaS, this new breed of robotics companies can implement RIOS maintenance, alleviating the facility from being in charge of inspection
How Often Do Robots Need Maintenance?
Now that we understand the importance of preventive maintenance, it is time to go over how often you should be examining your machines.
Planned maintenance may inconvenience factory flow by momentarily shutting down production, but it is nothing compared to your robotic workcells ceasing production all together. By scheduling maintenance, you are able to prevent costly downtime that is unplanned due to mechanic issues.
Industrial automation maintenance depends on the model, usage, and company you select. Different sellers recommend different routine checks. Because of this, it is vital to study your manual and reach out for expert advice. Based on your research, you should be able to determine how best to take care of your machines.
Every type of robot service will have its own personalized automation maintenance schedule.
These are some general recommendations to maintain your robot:
- Routine checks of the electrical and mechanical condition.
- Backup of controller memory.
- Supervise workcells movement for irregular motions or sounds.
- Keep robots and controllers charged to avoid data loss.
- Shaft and ball joint lubrication.
- Gearbox oil replacement.
- Inspection of brake operation.
- Maintain vents and filters with compressed air correct.
- Clean and complete visual examination of each robot component
- Measurements and adjustments.
- If required, test and replace RAM and APC batteries.
- Tighten external bolts.
- Inspect reach pendant.
- Check overtravel limits.
- Tighten external bolts.
Benefits of Preventative Maintenance for Industrial Robots
The benefits of automation equipment maintenance are clear. As with a car, you get as many miles as you put in. And since these machines are a livelihood, it is even more important to track wear and tear.
By maintaining your machines, you will see a consistent, dependable level of productivity and efficiency. Advantages include:
- Defend against overpressure and seal damage with precise tracking.
- Data-driven scheduling and maintenance.
- Durable and reliable machinery.
- Altered to potential issues before unexpected downtime.
- Maintenance customized for individual workcells.
These tasks will not only improve the performance but also reliability of industrial robots.
