Repainting UP-130s

    Hello All,

    I have two UP-130s and a UP-165 in my shop manufactured in 2002. They are mostly in pretty good shape but their paint is flaking and their cast steel frames are rusting. How does one go about repainting a robot? Can I just mask the zircs, connectors, labels, and witness Marks and go for it with a coat of rust primer then Satin Black Enamel? Is it ok to paint over servos and cabling?

    Like a car you should take it all apart, sand blast and grind it down, prime and paint.

    You can knock the loose stuff off and paint over the crap, however, the flaking paint will continue to flake and take the new paint with it. Just like a cheep paint job on a car.

    Both Yaskawa Canada and Yaskawa America have rebuild departments. You can send your robot to them to be painted or they both offer core exchange programs. Call your local Yaskawa rep to see what they have to offer.

    Robodoc

    Hmmmm. I’m looking for an in between the correct way and just barely good enough. I do not have the time to personally rebuild a unit unless it really really needs it in order to keep functioning. I’ve rebuilt a Staubli TX-90 and a UP-6 without much trouble but I had difficulty rebuilding just a up-165 wrist because the damn thing weighs 150 lbs and I am terrified of those monsters weight compensator shocks. I can’t send it in for a repaint/rebuild because I simply can’t afford it. I bought these 2 up-130s and 2 up-165s and 4 controller less UP6s to save them from the torch for$3350 usd. Could I compromise and put Air craft Stripper all over their existing paint jobs, scrub it off and repaint at that point? At how many hours are these supposed to be rebuilt at? Is there a way to tell how many hours they have on them if they have all been initialized?

    Quote from BoerderPatrol

    Could I compromise and put Air craft Stripper all over their existing paint jobs, scrub it off and repaint at that point?

    Yes, yes you can. They are your robots do as you like. Although I would not put paint stripper on them, it could end up inside a gearbox or melt the wiring.

    If they were mine I would de-grease, sand back the areas that need repainting, maybe a light sand on other areas. Remove all cables that might be in the way or at the least mask them and tie them back. Mask the servos, connectors, pivot points and anything not to be painted like end effector mount and apply a decent etch primer and then a top coat. I am sure you could do that easily with spray cans if needed.

    I have a UP6 in need of repainting. When I finish my LinuxCNC retrofit I will repaint it properly.

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