Servo-motor maintenance procedures

[cokeguy]

Are there any standard preventive maintenance or monitoring procedures for brushless AC servos? We use them increasingly more in our plant, but our verification and PM routines are designed for standard AC motors running at relatively constant speeds (vibration monitoring, lubrication, measuring current magnitudes and unbalances, etc.)

In servo motors, it is often impossible to even measure current, since the drive-side cable-ends are typically grouped and shielded almost into the connector, and the motor end is always a connector. Drives usually give us i2t values or torque values, which do help us identify machinery problems, but what about the conditions of the motor iself? Any suggestions or links?

Thanks a lot for your comments..

 

[itsmoked]

Since they all vary so much in; cases, types, power, etc., you may need to ask the various makers.

Alternatively, besides the obvious keeping them clean, you could take their temperatures while running using a non-contact temp gun. The take the temp of the immediate surroundings with the same. Calculate the rise, and keep track of it. A lot of failures like bearings will result in a temperature increase.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[mikek10]

Also consider vibration monitoring.

For torque the drive reading is usually accurate