How susceptible is a Krc-1 control cabinet to problems caused by wood dust, etc?

    My groups has a Kuka kr30/2 controlled by a a KRC1 cabinet. When i set the whole system up I built a special enclosure for the arm to keep the cabinet away from wood dust/foam shavings. Now the powers-in-charge maybe want me to move the cabinet inside the machining enclosure. Is that a safe idea? Thanks in advance for any advice! More than one opinion is certainly welcome, speak your minds!

    Depends if the cabinet door is kept closed and no have no covers missing from bottom then the system should have a higher pressure inside that out so no dust will get it.

    You will have to watch the rear bottom fan doesn't become clogged up if you clean it regularly then it should be fine.

    But outside of the cell is the best idea.

    OSHA inspectors will write you up if the robot cabinet is inside the fence line. I'm not sure if that's an issue for your location, but something to be aware of. If the cabinet is inside the fence, then the KCP holder should definitely be located on the *outside* of the fence, as should the mode select key.

    From an environmental standpoint... hm. The KRC cabinets use a dual-loop heat exchanger system, a bit like a nuclear reactor. The air inside the cabinet is isolated from the air outside -- instead, the exterior fan blows ambient air over a big, bladed heat sink. The heat sink is mounted in the inner wall of the cabinet such that it's *inner* blades are in the *interior* airflow path, and that's how the heat is transmitted. There's no air passing between the interior and exterior. Well, as long as the door is shut and no one left any cable sockets open.
    So, the biggest risk is the outer fan getting clogged up. Covering it with some cheesecloth will help, but you'll need to change it regularly. Starving the exterior fan can cause the controller to overheat.
    OTOH, leaving the cabinet door open can result in the interior collecting enough airborne debris that the controller catches on fire -- I had this happen once, in a facility with lots of vaporized oil floating in the air. So definitely keep the KRC buttoned up.

Advertising from our partners