No part, no robot
When a robot stops because of a board, a drive or a teach pendant, the real question is where the part is. In the maker's stock in Turkey, in a warehouse abroad, or no longer made at all? For a new robot, the answer is usually easy. For a fifteen-year-old controller, waiting weeks for a part, or not finding one at all, is normal.
Older controller generations are still very common in Turkish plants. Mechanically, these robots can keep working for years. What stops them is often a single board that can't be replaced.
Three options: new, used or repaired
There are usually three ways to get a part. Which one is right depends on the part, the age of the controller and how long the line can stand still.
| Option | When it makes sense | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| New (from the maker) | Current controllers, robots under warranty, parts in stock | Lead times can be long for older generations, or the part may be discontinued |
| Used, tested | Parts that are unavailable new or very expensive, urgent breakdowns | The part must be tested and come with a warranty |
| Repaired or exchange | Boards, drives, teach pendants, especially for older generations | With an exchange unit, you hand in your faulty part and, if one is in stock, get a repaired one straight away |
An untested used part is a gamble. A board removed for an unknown reason can run the robot for a few days and then stop it with the same fault. That is why we test used parts and supply them with a warranty. We state the warranty period for each part type in writing in the quote.
Repairing your own faulty board is another option. We cover it in detail on the board and drive repair page.
Which parts?
- Teach pendants: ABB FlexPendant and KUKA smartPAD; cables, touch screens, enabling switches, key switches. The pendant is the part most often dropped, crushed or pulled off by its cable on the shop floor.
- Cabinet electronics: main computer units, axis computers, power supplies, I/O and communication boards, safety boards.
- Drives: servo drive units and power modules.
- Motors and parts on the robot: servo motors, encoder and measurement boards, cable harnesses.
We supply parts for ABB, KUKA and other brands.
Why the controller generation matters
Robot makers release controllers in generations, and each generation uses its own parts. An IRC5 board does not fit an OmniCore controller, and a KR C2 drive does not fit a KR C4.
- ABB: S4C+, IRC5, OmniCore. FlexPendant is the teach pendant of IRC5 and OmniCore; S4C+ uses an earlier pendant.
- KUKA: KR C2, KR C4, KR C5. The KR C2 uses the KCP pendant; KR C4 and KR C5 use the smartPAD.
Parts get scarce on the older generations. Makers reduce or stop new-part supply, and prices rise. That is where tested used and repaired parts are a realistic way to extend a robot's life. Past a certain point, replacing the controller or the robot is the better decision, and we will tell you when we think you have reached it.
How to request a part quickly
A request with the right details avoids the wrong part being shipped and two days lost. Send us:
- Part number: from the label on the part, with the revision if there is one. ABB part numbers usually start with 3HAC, and boards also carry a type code starting with DSQC. KUKA part numbers have the format 00-123-456.
- Controller type: e.g. ABB IRC5 or KUKA KR C4.
- Serial numbers of the robot and the controller cabinet.
- Photos: a clear photo of the part label and of where the part is fitted.
- Symptom: the error code on the pendant and why you think this part is faulty.
If you are not sure which part has failed, we can work it out together from the error code and photos. If needed, we come to site and diagnose it there.
Questions buyers ask
Does a used part affect my robot's warranty? If your robot is still under the maker's warranty, check the terms with your supplier. For robots out of warranty, the question does not arise.
Should we keep critical parts in stock? In plants running several robots of the same type, keeping the few parts that fail most often on the shelf shortens downtime considerably. During preventive maintenance we list which parts are critical for each robot.
We bought a used robot. Can we get parts for it? Usually, yes. We start by identifying the controller generation and the part numbers, which shows which parts will be hard to find. If you are planning a used robot integration, planning critical parts from the start costs less.