8 tips for Automated robots maintenance

Automated robots may fail because most of the joints of the robot are fixed with screws, which may cause the screws to loosen due to long-term vibration, causing the robot to fall apart and the joints of the components to break.

On the other hand, the vibration of the robot causes the loosening of the wire connectors and the loosening of the relays, resulting in poor circuit contact. This causes the robot to move randomly, the electronic control to crash, and the electronic control to burn out.

Precautions for daily maintenance tasks:

Oil pressure buffer: should be replaced regularly. The cylinder end cover seals, inspection pipes, and joints that have been used for a long time should be replaced in time. Regularly inspect and repair wire connectors, plugs, sockets, etc. every 12 months. Pneumatic components: All actions of simple and multi-functional robots rely on the air source to advance, and the air source must be stable, with low volatility and no water.

Because gas and water are two different media, gas is invisible, water is tangible, water will accumulate in the air pipe, cylinder, and electromagnetic, causing solenoid valve jamming, gas blowby, air seal wear and leakage, cylinder leakage, external leakage, etc., cylinder movement is weak, crawling, no movement or sudden rapid movement, air pipe, joint burst, etc.

In summary, the automated manipulator can efficiently replace manual labor to improve the production efficiency of the enterprise, and the maintenance cost is low, but it must be carefully maintained in daily maintenance. In order to avoid failure of the automated manipulator and affect the production efficiency of the enterprise's products.

For operators, the daily maintenance of the manipulator is very important. Next, the editor will introduce some precautions to everyone:

1. Guide rails and bearings

The guide rails and bearings at all axes should be kept clean and have good lubrication performance. If the manipulator is running in a dusty environment, the guide rails need to be cleaned frequently. If you find any metal fragments or powder, it may indicate poor lubrication. To ensure proper lubrication, it is critical to have the right linear guide system, and most robots have automated lubrication systems and parts that need to be replaced regularly.

2. Robot Cycle

One of the key points to keeping a robot running well is simple observation and listening, which can reveal a lot about the overall operation of the robot. The robot works by specific movements, so listen for any abnormal sounds, such as whistling, clicking, etc., which indicate that the bearing is not rotating properly or some other component is sticking.

The robot link moves along the guide rails with power cables and vacuum hoses, and there will be a normal ticking sound, but this sound is smooth and stable. Check any bearings that can be observed to make sure they rotate smoothly. Just checking and listening for certain signs of wear or the need for adjustment can greatly help keep the robot in optimal operating condition.

3. Drive System

If the robot is equipped with a mounting frame-gear drive, pay attention to whether there is any hesitation or shaking during operation. Any movement except smooth and steady movement can indicate that the drive system is damaged or there is some foreign matter stored inside. A quick way to check the action or backlash between the mounting beam and the drive gear as the robot pushes down is to push and drag the arm and feel for abnormal motion (different back and forth motion).

However, this test method will be very inaccurate because normal factory tolerances are very tight. If you suspect that the mounting beam and drive gear may have problems, a better method is to use a long-range magnetic stand. After adjusting the backlash according to the manufacturer's instructions, check the full travel of the shaft to ensure that there is no tightness between the mounting beam and the drive gear.

If the backlash cannot be adjusted, the mounting frame and drive gear may be worn and need to be replaced. If repairing the mounting frame and drive gear is necessary, it is best to replace both components at the same time to ensure long-term performance.

For shafts driven by conveyor belts, pay close attention to debris from worn conveyor belts and damage to the belt itself. Inspect the pulleys carefully and watch for signs of dust from conveyor belt material. Ensure that the conveyor belt is fully aligned with the drive pulleys and sheaves. A misaligned conveyor belt will wear out very quickly. For any conveyor belt driven system, check the preload of the conveyor belt itself according to the manufacturer's instructions. These specifications will tell you the appropriate amount of error at a specific location on the conveyor relative to the pulley.

4. Pneumatic System

Almost all robots, including multi-axis servo drives, have pneumatic functions as long as there is wrist rotation and vacuum grasping. Pay close attention to the suction cups of the filter regulator unit. Water accumulation in them indicates that the compressed air source passing through the system is too humid. The presence of even a small amount of moisture can be transmitted to the pneumatic valves and actuators, causing oxidation and internal contamination, which may eventually cause the regulator to stick or the actuator to stick or fail intermittently.

If the suction cups are equipped with an automatic dehumidification system, contamination or discoloration on the suction cups can also indicate that moisture is accumulating before being removed. If water accumulates in the suction cups, even for a short time, it can enter the system and cause the above problems. If you notice any physical damage to the pneumatic hoses, then the system may have a leak.

If the pneumatic circuit is full of air at normal operating pressure and there is a leak somewhere in the circuit, you should be more likely to find a noticeable hissing sound to help you determine the location of the leak.

5. Check the molding equipment

Standard configuration robots are usually mounted on the mold plate of the molding equipment. When the equipment is running quickly, vibrations from the molding equipment may be transmitted to the robot and cause damage. Simply observing the operation of the molding equipment to ensure that the mold movement is adjusted to a reasonable state and reduce the number of shakes or vibrations can extend the life of the robot.

At high speeds, the vibration frequency can be very high, and it is best to mount the robot on a support structure independent of the molding equipment.

6. Watch for wiring wear

When inspecting the surface of the robot, if black particles or powder are found, it indicates that the robot circuit wiring is showing signs of wear. However, even if you can't find these signs of wear, carefully check all power, transformer or encoder cables, both inside and outside the wiring path, because the wiring of the robot that is continuously rubbed during the production cycle, or the wiring connected to the cable guide, will eventually wear and fail. Ensure the safety of the wiring ties and the proper installation of the cables.

7. Check lubrication

The robot uses a spring-loaded lubrication stick, which only needs to be replaced once a year unless there is evidence that the guide is not fully lubricated. An automated lubrication system is configured to lubricate continuously as the robot moves. However, if there are some surfaces on which the robot does not move properly, then these areas can be manually lubricated or programmed to lubricate by automated system lubrication at regular intervals.

If you notice rust, corrosion or wear on any moving surfaces, or if they are simply too dry, they are not lubricated enough. Always refer to the robot manual for proper lubrication of metal parts. Assembly beam - Traditional gear systems are automatically lubricated through lubricant storage units, but they need to be replaced annually.

8. Vacuum gripper circuit

The vacuum should be nearly instantaneous, and the appropriate controller input should be equivalent to grabbing the product. If you find that the vacuum is turned on and then the input light appears, the delay time is more than 2 seconds, then there is a leak in the vacuum line, a defect, or a misadjusted switching device. This can be easily tested through the external main control panel.

If the robot is equipped with a digital vacuum switching unit, the minimum vacuum threshold required to grab the product can be quickly and automatically fine-tuned. This process can be done while the robot is running in automatic operation mode. The set parameters for each production cycle are saved in memory, which can save time at the next production change.

The digital vacuum switch has two additional advantages: The electronic filter of the grip threshold signal compensates for vibrations of the product on the vacuum cup during rapid movement. The product release threshold is different from the grip threshold and can be programmed to ensure proper release under fast production cycle conditions.

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