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Contact UsReuse of Robots – Are they ready for New Tasks?
When you implement an automation solution, you can save up to 50% of the investment costs by reusing an existing industrial Robot.
One of the main advantages of Industrial Robots is their flexibility and the associated universal range of applications. They are freely programmable and have universal – also programmable – electrical interfaces to other processes and a highly variable range of possible movement.
So much for the usual arguments, but what does it look like in practice? How easy is it really to remove a robot from an automation solution that is no longer required and use it for a completely different task? How long is the typical service life of an industrial robot in reality? Is it worth it to buy a second-hand robot?
The fact that the same type of robot can be used for tasks as diverse as handling and welding under conditions as diverse as clean/dirty, hot/cold, point motion/path motion, dry/wet etc. proves their flexibility.
Let's first look at a few facts and experiences garnered in over 20 years and from having installed close to 2000 robots:
Out of the total investment of a typical automation solution with a robot, the price of the robot in most cases represents between 25-50%. This means that this 25-50% of the purchase price can easily be reused over many years and that the remaining 50-75% is project-specific and may only be partially reused. This ratio is thus considerably mote attractive than is the case with a conventional customised machine
.
The expense required to integrate a robot into an automation system consists of engineering (design of load capacity/load centre of gravity/ moments of inertia, design of reach, design of speed/cycle time and positioning), mechanical interfaces (floor mounting/base as well as tool connection/hand flange), electrical interfaces (communication with the central controller or the operator, communication with system components and tools) and programming. This expense is usually repeated when the robot is reused for a new task.
With regular maintenance, a robot can last a very long time. We started using robots in 1999 and quite a few of the robots we installed back then are still doing their job reliably today. Regular maintenance requires an annual lubrication check and regular replacement of the backup batteries. We offer this as part of our maintenance contract at reasonable fixed costs, which are very manageable compared to the maintenance costs of many other machines and systems. Depending on the load and daily operating time, it may be necessary to replace individual parts after a few years of operation – but this usually only becomes necessary after 8-10 years of operation, or even longer.
The influence of technical progress is one factor that should not be neglected when reusing or buying a used robot. The key technologies – drive technology, computing power, microelectronics and software – develop rapidly over the course of a decade. As a result, manufacturers make a generational leap approximately every 3-5 years. A 10-year-old used robot will therefore be significantly inferior to a new device in terms of performance, and the supply of spare parts will most probably end at some point in the following second decade of the robot’s life.
Overall, however, the actual service life (operating time) of the robot must also be considered in addition to its age. When you buy a used car, there is after all a considerable difference between a used taxi and a well-maintained, single-owner garaged car of the same age if you are looking for a vehicle to last you a few years.
The reason for taking all these factors into consideration before you make a decision, is that these are the things you must weigh up before you remove a robot from one system and build a new system around it.
This is also a good opportunity to check/maintain the robot and control system before it is installed in a new system. It may be useful to make a backup of the existing programme, depending on the similarity between the new and old tasks. Perhaps some of the program structures, display dialogues, messages or movement sequences can be reused for the new task.
With regard to the mechanical interfaces, floor mounting and hole pattern on the tool flange, robots of different ages in similar sizes are often compatible. A base or a base plate, gripper module or mould flange can also be reused.
Now let's look at the design/engineering. Firstly, you need to determine the optimal positioning of the robot. If the robot is larger than needed for the task in terms of reach and/or load capacity, it is not a problem. However, if it has too little reach or load capacity, it cannot be used. When purchasing a new robot, you should therefore bear in mind the possible typical tasks in your company and possible opt for a robot that is a size too big from the outset, as this will pay off later in terms of greater flexibility.
Next, let’s consider the electrical interfaces. A 10-year-old robot will probably not have the latest bus interface. However, there are always digital inputs and outputs on the machine and these can be used to create the required interfaces. It is often possible to buy a second-hand I/O expansion card relatively cheaply if the existing I/Os are not sufficient
.
Once your robot has been installed and wiring completed, the next step is commissioning. If you have been used to the programming convenience of the current generation of robot controllers, you will now have to contend with taking a small step backwards, as some functions may not have been available in previous generation controllers. Here is where your backup may be helpful, as you can learn a trick or two from it. In principle, however, the programming language and programme structure does not change very much, which means that taking that step backwards should be quick. If you are lucky enough to have similar motion sequences, you can even reuse these components of the program (with the help of add-on programs).
Once the robot has been installed in a new system and commissioning has been completed, calculate its profitability is a very satisfactory exercise. If we go back to our initial statement that the robot accounts for 25-50% of the total investment in a system, then the new system with the reused and already depreciated robot has only cost 50-75% of an automation solution with a new robot.
The flexibility and recyclability of industrial robots makes a significant contribution to sustainability and conservation of resources and represents a significant advantage over rigid axis systems.
If you can't reuse your used robot for a new purpose, you still have a good chance of getting a decent price for it on the second-hand market – where you can also find a used robot for your automation task, of course. It is always worth taking a look at robotsale.de
.
Even if a robot can due to its age and condition no longer be used to good effect in a new system, it can still serve as a spare parts donor for the numerous other robots of the same type that are still in operation. It is therefore also advisable to keep the number of variants to a minimum when buying robots.
Out of the total investment of a typical automation solution with a robot, the price of the robot in most cases represents between 25-50%. This means that this 25-50% of the purchase price can easily be reused over many years and that the remaining 50-75% is project-specific and may only be partially reused. This ratio is thus considerably mote attractive than is the case with a conventional customised machine
.
The expense required to integrate a robot into an automation system consists of engineering (design of load capacity/load centre of gravity/ moments of inertia, design of reach, design of speed/cycle time and positioning), mechanical interfaces (floor mounting/base as well as tool connection/hand flange), electrical interfaces (communication with the central controller or the operator, communication with system components and tools) and programming. This expense is usually repeated when the robot is reused for a new task.
With regular maintenance, a robot can last a very long time. We started using robots in 1999 and quite a few of the robots we installed back then are still doing their job reliably today. Regular maintenance requires an annual lubrication check and regular replacement of the backup batteries. We offer this as part of our maintenance contract at reasonable fixed costs, which are very manageable compared to the maintenance costs of many other machines and systems. Depending on the load and daily operating time, it may be necessary to replace individual parts after a few years of operation – but this usually only becomes necessary after 8-10 years of operation, or even longer.
The influence of technical progress is one factor that should not be neglected when reusing or buying a used robot. The key technologies – drive technology, computing power, microelectronics and software – develop rapidly over the course of a decade. As a result, manufacturers make a generational leap approximately every 3-5 years. A 10-year-old used robot will therefore be significantly inferior to a new device in terms of performance, and the supply of spare parts will most probably end at some point in the following second decade of the robot’s life.
Overall, however, the actual service life (operating time) of the robot must also be considered in addition to its age. When you buy a used car, there is after all a considerable difference between a used taxi and a well-maintained, single-owner garaged car of the same age if you are looking for a vehicle to last you a few years.
The reason for taking all these factors into consideration before you make a decision, is that these are the things you must weigh up before you remove a robot from one system and build a new system around it.
This is also a good opportunity to check/maintain the robot and control system before it is installed in a new system. It may be useful to make a backup of the existing programme, depending on the similarity between the new and old tasks. Perhaps some of the program structures, display dialogues, messages or movement sequences can be reused for the new task.
With regard to the mechanical interfaces, floor mounting and hole pattern on the tool flange, robots of different ages in similar sizes are often compatible. A base or a base plate, gripper module or mould flange can also be reused.
Now let's look at the design/engineering. Firstly, you need to determine the optimal positioning of the robot. If the robot is larger than needed for the task in terms of reach and/or load capacity, it is not a problem. However, if it has too little reach or load capacity, it cannot be used. When purchasing a new robot, you should therefore bear in mind the possible typical tasks in your company and possible opt for a robot that is a size too big from the outset, as this will pay off later in terms of greater flexibility.
Next, let’s consider the electrical interfaces. A 10-year-old robot will probably not have the latest bus interface. However, there are always digital inputs and outputs on the machine and these can be used to create the required interfaces. It is often possible to buy a second-hand I/O expansion card relatively cheaply if the existing I/Os are not sufficient
.
Once your robot has been installed and wiring completed, the next step is commissioning. If you have been used to the programming convenience of the current generation of robot controllers, you will now have to contend with taking a small step backwards, as some functions may not have been available in previous generation controllers. Here is where your backup may be helpful, as you can learn a trick or two from it. In principle, however, the programming language and programme structure does not change very much, which means that taking that step backwards should be quick. If you are lucky enough to have similar motion sequences, you can even reuse these components of the program (with the help of add-on programs).
Once the robot has been installed in a new system and commissioning has been completed, calculate its profitability is a very satisfactory exercise. If we go back to our initial statement that the robot accounts for 25-50% of the total investment in a system, then the new system with the reused and already depreciated robot has only cost 50-75% of an automation solution with a new robot.
The flexibility and recyclability of industrial robots makes a significant contribution to sustainability and conservation of resources and represents a significant advantage over rigid axis systems.
If you can't reuse your used robot for a new purpose, you still have a good chance of getting a decent price for it on the second-hand market – where you can also find a used robot for your automation task, of course. It is always worth taking a look at robotsale.de
.
Even if a robot can due to its age and condition no longer be used to good effect in a new system, it can still serve as a spare parts donor for the numerous other robots of the same type that are still in operation. It is therefore also advisable to keep the number of variants to a minimum when buying robots.