Robot maintenance

Robot maintenance for industrial robots, robotic cells and automated production lines where uptime, reliability, safety and long-term performance matter. Technical articles, maintenance insights and practical guidance from URT.

Should you standardize robot controllers before robot arms?

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Automation engineers evaluating industrial robot controllers and robot arms for standardization across a manufacturing plant

A plant can operate several robot brands successfully and still struggle with maintenance because every controller requires different programming knowledge, diagnostic procedures, software tools, and spare parts. This is where robot controller standardization becomes a strategic question. Should the company reduce controller diversity before deciding which robot arms to purchase, or should mechanical suitability remain … Read more

Delaying industrial robot battery replacement: The hidden risk to production recovery

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Maintenance technician inspecting an industrial robot controller and backup battery system during preventive maintenance

A robot that is running normally today may become difficult to restart tomorrow if its backup battery system is neglected. Industrial robot battery replacement is a relatively small maintenance task, but delaying it can expose a production cell to lost position references, controller alarms, additional calibration work, and avoidable downtime. The real risk is not … Read more

A used robot is available, but can you keep it running?

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Maintenance engineer inspecting an industrial robot controller and spare components before purchasing a used robot

A used industrial robot may be ready for immediate purchase, but the buyer still needs to confirm whether maintenance teams can keep it running. When evaluating used robot spare parts, purchasing managers must distinguish between equipment availability and long-term serviceability. A robot may pass an operational test while relying on a controller board, motor, drive, … Read more

Robot obsolescence planning: When should a factory prepare for replacement?

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Robot obsolescence planning assessment by a maintenance engineer inspecting an industrial robot controller

An industrial robot can remain mechanically functional long after its controller, software, or spare parts become difficult to support. That creates a difficult decision for maintenance and production managers: continue operating equipment that still performs its task, or begin investing in a replacement before a major failure occurs. Effective robot obsolescence planning addresses this decision … Read more

Robot wrist maintenance: how axes 4, 5, and 6 can become a production reliability risk

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Industrial maintenance technician inspecting the wrist assembly and final three axes of a six-axis industrial robot

A robot can continue completing its programmed cycles even when its wrist assembly begins showing signs of mechanical deterioration. This makes robot wrist maintenance essential for production teams that depend on consistent tool orientation, positioning, and uninterrupted operation. A developing problem in axes 4, 5, or 6 may initially cause minor movement changes, unusual noise, … Read more

Yaskawa DX100 vs DX200: which controller creates less integration risk?

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Yaskawa Motoman DX100 and DX200 industrial robot controllers under evaluation for factory integration and maintenance support

Why the Yaskawa DX100 vs DX200 decision matters beyond robot performance A used Yaskawa Motoman robot may meet a production application’s mechanical requirements, but its controller can create unexpected integration and maintenance costs. The Yaskawa DX100 vs DX200 decision, therefore, involves more than choosing the newer generation. Buyers must determine whether the controller’s hardware, software … Read more

What one hour of robot cell downtime is really costing your plant

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Production team calculating the hourly cost of downtime in an industrial robotic cell

The robot stopping is only the start of the cost A robot cell downtime cost calculation becomes misleading when a plant counts only technician time or when production is missed while the robot remains stopped. A one-hour fault can affect operators, upstream equipment, downstream operations, work in process, quality checks, maintenance resources, and the time … Read more

When a Complete Used Robot Makes More Sense Than a Parts Shelf

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Used industrial robot held as a production backup beside an active robotic cell

The Real Question Is How Much of the Failure You Need to Cover A used robot backup can make more operational sense than a shelf of spare parts. This is especially true when a robot failure could stop a critical process, and the plant cannot predict which component will fail. Keeping a compatible robot can … Read more

When Robot Backlash Becomes a Production Problem

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Maintenance technician checking an industrial robot joint for excessive mechanical backlash

Backlash Should Be Diagnosed Before It Becomes a Repeatability Problem Industrial robot backlash can first appear as a small positioning inconsistency that operators compensate for rather than report. A taught point needs adjustment, a tool approaches a fixture differently depending on its direction of travel, or a process that was previously stable begins requiring corrections. … Read more

Used Robot Operating Hours: What the Number Cannot Tell You

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Technician evaluating operating hours and mechanical condition of a used industrial robot

Used robot operating hours can look like an objective way to compare two machines. The number does not explain how those hours were accumulated or what loads the robot handled. It also does not show whether maintenance was performed correctly or what mechanical condition the robot is in today. A lower-hour robot can therefore be … Read more