Radwell International’s Blog

Robots are a critical part of today’s manufacturing. Keeping them running is a high priority, while minimizing downtime for repairs is essential.

In places like automotive plants, the robots can be massive, so sending them out for repair is not an option. Typically, when something goes wrong with one of these large machines, the problem can be traced back to a single component—a board or drive, a human-machine interface (HMI), a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a touchscreen, for example. Once the customer identifies the component that has failed, the next step is sending it out for repair or replacement.

Radwell International, a leader in industrial repair, distribution and surplus automation, maintains a $2-billion surplus, which is a great cost-effective alternative for a customer with a machine down. This this surplus also allows for their Engineering Department build efficient test fixtures. This huge on-site inventory of parts and robots means technicians can put the part in question through a full-load test in the same model robot as the one the customer uses. As a result, Radwell’s customers have confidence in the repairs and replacements because they know their components have been thoroughly tested. Radwell can also repair or replace teach pendants, control panels and any of the control components, as well as other parts such as servo motors.

This surplus and testing capability sets Radwell apart from its competitors and greatly enhances its capacity to quickly test components and replacement parts, so that its customers are up and running again as soon as possible. The extensive testing enables Radwell to offer its customers a two-year warranty (compared to the industry-standard of 12-18 months), and also keeps the warranty rate very low (4 percent versus the 6 percent industry average).

Watch a short video about the company’s robotic repair and test capabilities featuring the Kawasaki UX120F, a robot that improves production line efficiencies and general industry and automotive applications. The Kawasaki UC120F is just one of the many robots Radwell has available to test components.

At Radwell International, we are known for the quality of products and outstanding level of service we provide to our clients. One of our services is our repair capabilities. Although we are known for being able to provide all kinds of repairs for all kinds of industrial automation equipment, it’s easy to overlook some of the more basic items that we are also capable of fixing for our customers. Items like temperature gauges, process controls, timers and counters are items we are just as capable of repairing as much larger items.

It’s so easy to overlook a small display or a dial. Many of our clients wouldn’t even think about having these items repaired. Yet in our NJ Headquarters, we have an entire repair team dedicated to exactly these types of repairs. Repairs in this category are fully testable, and the parts are easy for us to replace if we can’t fix the item. Sounds like a win-win!

Steve Ramirez, a long time Repair Technician with Radwell International, is an expert when it comes to these types of repairs. Steve started with Radwell in July of 1999, working in the calibration lab. Basically, he has been repairing these types of parts for the past 16 years!