MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE

IMPORTANCE OF MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE

Reliable and stable operation of servo systems in demanding industrial applications is based on properly planned and executed preventive maintenance and targeted diagnostics. Regardless of the manufacturer of the servo drives or motors (Siemens, Bosch Rexroth, Lenze, Beckhoff, Yaskawa, Fanuc, etc.), wear of mechanical and electronic components, insulation degradation, and thermal overload are common causes of reduced performance or failure.

Servo Motor Maintenance

  • Mechanical inspection: checking the condition of bearings, shaft seals, shafts, and threads.
  • Measurement of insulation resistance and testing for inter-turn short circuits in stator windings.
  • Encoder testing (encoders, resolvers, Hall sensors) and verifying signal integrity.
  • Targeted disassembly and bearing replacement, including precise encoder reset if required by the manufacturer.
  • Dynamic load testing on a test bench to check vibration response, current consumption, symmetry, and behavior during acceleration.

Preventive and Predictive Maintenance

For modern servo systems with integrated diagnostics, predictive maintenance is recommended, based on:

  • Counting thermal cycles,
  • Monitoring bearing wear via vibration analysis,
  • Tracking PWM impulse duration,
  • Or external diagnostics via SCADA or MES systems.
  • Systems such as Condition Monitoring and Health Index Tracking are often already integrated into higher-level automation, enabling timely component replacement planning.

Drive Service and Diagnostics

Servo drives are electronic devices that control the current and voltage to the motor based on position, speed, and current loops. Due to their pulse-mode operation, they are exposed to wear in the power stage and sensor interface.

Key service procedures include:

  • Checking the condition of capacitors, especially electrolytics in the DC link,
  • Cooling system inspection, including fans, heat sinks, PTC sensors, and thermal switches,
  • Error analysis from internal log files (fault history),
  • Firmware updates and communication testing (EtherCAT, SERCOS, CANopen, Profinet),
  • Feedback capture measurements, checking alignment with the drive configuration and recalibrating if necessary.