Robotics in Manufacturing

HMI & peripherals

Contactor

Switches main power to the servo drive system on and off under control of the safety and control circuits.

The motor contactor is a relay-like switch sized for the servo system's full current draw, controlled by the safety and control circuits to connect or disconnect drive power, most importantly dropping out immediately when an e-stop is triggered.

Because it switches significant current repeatedly over the life of the robot, contactor contacts erode gradually, and a contactor near end of life may show visible pitting or discoloration on inspection.

Welded contacts are the more serious failure mode for this part, since a contactor stuck closed can defeat the purpose of an e-stop circuit that depends on it opening reliably.

Related components

Common questions

What does the Contactor do?
Switches main power to the servo drive system on and off under control of the safety and control circuits.
How does the Contactor fail?
Common failure modes: Contact erosion from repeated switching over service life, Welded contacts preventing reliable power disconnect, Coil failure preventing the contactor from energizing, Chattering from a marginal control voltage supply.
What fault codes relate to the Contactor?
Related codes include SRVO-001, SRVO-023.

Attribution

Component notes on this page are checked against the site's published fault-code and maintenance references where those apply.

Edited by Mike Ramsey / Reliable Media.Editorial process