Maintenance of industrial robots is critical to ensure they work as intended for as long as possible. If your company has robots or you are considering adding them as soon as possible, understanding which maintenance practices to employ can help you get the most out of your investment.
Dismantling a robot simply because it is old is generally not a good enough reason to stop using it. The lifespan of robots varies from 5 to 20 years depending on the purpose they serve and how well they are maintained. Decommissioning a machine and installing a newer one to replace it may require a transition period. However, this may be necessary to keep your facility productive.
Are these components difficult to locate? You may need to pay extra or wait a long time for them to arrive in certain situations. Check whether industrial robots fail more frequently than before. Short repair intervals suggest that the machine should be taken out of production. Also, if problems become more costly and frequent, their use may become unprofitable.
Check whether the quality of the robot’s performance has also deteriorated. Note that such a downward trend could be the result of poor maintenance. However, if you know that the equipment is receiving the necessary maintenance but the quality is still not up to par, it may be time to retire it. There may be a transition period between decommissioning a piece of equipment and installing a newer one to replace it. However, to keep your facility productive, this may be necessary.
Many companies struggle to find qualified candidates to fill industrial robot maintenance positions. A more feasible solution may be to partner with outside repair companies that have employees who understand how to service multiple brands of industrial robots. Therefore, it is often advisable to have professional external specialists who can promptly address any needs.
A predictive maintenance strategy aims to collect data that could show symptoms of potential problems with a robot long before humans notice them. Statistics indicate that people could save 30-40% more by using predictive maintenance. A technician could be off-site in such scenarios and still see all relevant aspects of a robot’s performance.
With industrial robot maintenance, you can increase efficiency without sacrificing performance. Evaluate your current procedures first. Investigate which items take the most time and why. Then, see if any current or emerging technologies will help you increase productivity and reduce wasted time.
Start improving your industrial robot maintenance strategy. The details of how you maintain your robot are determined by a number of things. These can include, for example, the size of your staff and the number of machines you have. However, it is vital to develop a plan that achieves your intended goals.
For any information, do not hesitate to contact us: we will be ready to give you support and explanations for any robotics project. Call us!