Should you buy a new robot or invest in refurbishing a used one? Giving a robot a second life often saves time and, in many cases, money, but it also results in lower CO2 emissions.
At Frosta's plant in Bydgoszcz, there were two robotic lines where manipulators helped pack frozen food into boxes. To somewhat unify its offering, the well-known fish stick producer decided to expand one line at the expense of the other. The problem was that the discontinued line had two solid, older-type manipulators, which are now very difficult to obtain on the market. Frosta did not want to "train" new devices for the complex process, so it decided to refurbish these old, well-tested manipulators in frozen food packing.
The manipulators were sent to ABB's robotics center. First, they underwent an audit to determine whether the device qualifies for refurbishment and, if so, what scope of work would need to be done to provide a warranty for the refurbished unit. Then, with that information, we return to the client. The assumption is that the functionality and lifespan of the refurbished robot should be the same as a new unit, says Bogumił Matuła from ABB Robotics in Poland.
There are many advantages to refurbishing used robots. Refurbished equipment reaches the production line faster. The renovation time can be twice as short as producing a unit from scratch. Sometimes, clients need a machine "now," but none is available. In this situation, they can wait for the robot to leave the manufacturer's factory or refurbish an already-owned device. There is also a third option: if extended waiting is not an option and the old unit cannot be refurbished for some reason, buying a ready-to-use, refurbished robot "off the shelf."
Vitkovice Milmet, a manufacturer of technical steel cylinders (among others), opted for this solution. In their foundry, a large ABB IRB 7600 industrial robot had been working for several years, operating a press in very harsh environmental conditions. Its complete refurbishment was not possible, so the company decided to buy the same model, which had been previously refurbished. The new unit was delivered within a week, which is perfect timing in the industry. It works so efficiently that it is impossible to tell at first glance whether it was previously used or came directly from the robot factory.
In many cases, not only time but also lower costs matter. According to an ABB expert, a refurbished robot can be up to 25% cheaper than a new unit, although this is not a rule. The more advanced the robot, the more profitable it becomes to refurbish it. There is no need to produce new castings and many other components that can be reused, emphasizes Adam Majewski from ABB.
Naturally, such refurbishment is also more environmentally friendly than production. According to ABB's data, refurbishment produces 1.7 tons fewer CO2 emissions into the atmosphere than the production of a new unit.
Comprehensive cleaning and component replacement
How does such refurbishment look in practice? The robot is disassembled into parts. Then, it is meticulously cleaned. Those elements that have been identified for replacement are replaced with new ones. Practically everything can be replaced, from the arm to the cable harnesses. The reassembled robot is painted to look exactly like the original. The result is impressive – a shrink-wrapped device, looking like new, arrives at the client, is installed, and is ready to work.
ABB's center has refurbished machines from the 1990s. This shows that a robot's life can be long, and its age does not matter much. Besides proper servicing and periodic inspections, the key is using the unit according to specifications. A unit that has been improperly used will be more challenging to refurbish.
Even if a robot works in a clean environment but carries elements weighing several kilograms more than its maximum load capacity, it will wear out faster than a robot working under challenging conditions, such as in a foundry, but where operators adhere to recommendations. One will work continuously for several years, the other even twenty. Working conditions are key, explains Adam Majewski from ABB.
