Robotics in Manufacturing

HMI & peripherals

Teach Pendant Enable Switch

Requires an operator to hold a middle position to permit manual robot motion, acting as a hold-to-run safety control.

The enable switch, mounted on the back of the pendant, is a three-position device that must be held in its middle position to permit manual motion. Releasing it fully or squeezing it too hard into the third position both stop the robot, a design meant to prevent motion from either letting go in a panic or gripping too hard under stress.

This switch is used constantly during manual operation and programming, making it one of the most cycle-worn safety components on the pendant.

A worn enable switch that fails to register its center position reliably prevents an operator from jogging the robot at all, which is a common service call traced to this single component.

Common questions

What does the Teach Pendant Enable Switch do?
Requires an operator to hold a middle position to permit manual robot motion, acting as a hold-to-run safety control.
How does the Teach Pendant Enable Switch fail?
Common failure modes: Worn contacts failing to register the center hold position, Switch sticking in the released or over-squeezed position, Internal wiring fatigue from constant use, Housing crack allowing contamination into the switch mechanism.
What fault codes relate to the Teach Pendant Enable Switch?
Related codes include SRVO-003.

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