I wanted to ask the forum for experiences swapping out teach pendants on the R30iB robots.
I have a Fanuc M-710iC/12L arc welding robot that I was programming a large frame on a positioner. I was up on a pretty tall ladder (12-14 ft off the ground) and while adjusting a clamp the teach pendant fell off the fixture where I had hung it. It totally smashed the plastic case and destroyed the screen so the pendant is dead. I need to replace it and the quote I got from Lincoln Electric was outrageous - $7000 USD for a replacement! Our vendor setup process is pretty slow at the company I work for so I am looking online at Ebay and other spare parts retailers that have teach pendants. It seems there are many options for $1000-3000 for a new pendant but it depends on the model purchased.
To clarify Lincoln is the only vendor we have setup that deals Fanuc parts but if the cost is low enough I can expense it with a company credit card.
My question is can I buy an R30iB teach pendant that is generic or has the material handling overlay (they seem to be lower cost than teach pendants with the arc welding membrane) and then replace the membrane overlay?
From my understanding the software on the teach pendant is not application specific and that is stored in the controller. Thanks for your time and help!
