10 Common Questions About Servo Motors
Buyer, beware!
There has been an explosion of companies that claim to do servo motor repair. These high-tech devices require special tooling, handling, and an in-depth understanding of servo dynamics.
In order to help you in your quest for a servo motor repair company, we've developed a list of 10 simple questions to ask potential vendor companies who offer servo repair services. If you have further questions that you do not see below, feel free to contact us!
1. Are they a dedicated servo motor repair facility - or is servo motor repair a sideline business?
Servo motor repair is not just something we do - it is all we do and all we've done for over 20 years. We are not in the same business as the typical "motor repair shop". We specialize in servo devices and have designed our facility to meet the demanding needs of industries that utilize servos. A good faith attempt by the wrong company with the wrong tools and lack of knowledge can render a repairable servo unserviceable - a very expensive paper weight!
2. What's their experience/how many years have they been repairing servos?
We began repairing servos in 1982 - over 30 years experience! Our technicians are factory trained and experienced in the repair of all types of electromechanical servo devices. We've repaired over 100,000 servo motors from over 600 different manufacturers. We have over 100 cumulative years of servo motor repair experience. There's not much we haven't seen.
3. Can you talk to a technician?
This is a must when attempting to resolve problems at your facility. We take the time to help you troubleshoot your equipment failure over the phone. It is very important to isolate the failure as a motor problem prior to sending your servo out for repair! Our highly experienced technicians are available to assist our customers at no charge.
4. Can they magnetize motors and tachometers?
If not, you can bet your permanent magnet motor won't have the proper torque after repair. Ask how they plan to bring your motor or tachometer back up to OEM specifications without a magnetizer? They should have a working knowledge of the relationship between magnets and servo motor performance.
5. Can they repair a brushless servo motor that has had the feedback device removed?
If they respond with an unequivocal "yes", you should seriously question their credibility. There are an infinite number of possible alignments - without the proper one, the motor will not run correctly, or will not run at all! Ask us this question and you'll get a barrage of questions that will ultimately determine if we can assist you or not. It's very possible we already have timing documentation on your specific motor. If we don't, we have established procedures that will in most cases allow us to resolve your problem.
6. Do they offer a free evaluation?
We do! Depending on the complexity of the servo motor, we'll easily spend in excess of 2 hours evaluating your servo - at no cost to you. All you pay is the cost of shipping. How can we do this? It's simple, because of our quick turnaround time and competitive price, most motors we evaluate and quote are approved for repair.
7. How quickly can they do the servo motor repair?
We offer an expedite service that in most cases will complete repair in as little as 24 to 48 hours in-house. This service provides an immediate evaluation upon arrival at our facility and immediate initiation of repair upon approval. Our focus is on getting you up and running as quickly as possible.
8. Do they have an in-depth understanding of feedback devices?
Can they explain exactly what they are looking for when testing an encoder, resolver, tachometer or hall effect sensor? Because these devices provide feedback to your controllers, the output signal quality is absolutely critical. Simply looking for an output signal will not suffice - the signal must be closely scrutinized. Can they remove the glass from encoders to replace worn bearings? If so, how do they ensure the glass is reattached properly?
9. What if the motor fails after it is repaired?
How will they handle a warranty repair? Problems can be caused by shipping, installation, or by something other than the motor (controller, drive, cables etc.). Our technical support will help you quickly isolate the problem. And yes, we're not perfect; we do make mistakes. If the problem is in fact isolated to the motor, we'll go out of our way to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. All repair companies will occasionally have warranty issues. What's most important is HOW YOU ARE TREATED in the process. We believe you'll be pleasantly surprised with our attitude and effort to solve the issue as quickly as possible.
10. Will they provide references?
Servo motor repair can be expensive! Having a machine down because of a faulty servo can be even more expensive. Managers with foresight fully understand the importance of quality of workmanship and timeliness of repair in reducing down time. Therefore we expect you to be highly discriminative when selecting a company to repair your high-tech equipment.
We take our business seriously - when you're serious about quality servo repair, contact us. We'll be happy to provide you with a list of customers who will provide a first-hand account of our commitment to customer satisfaction.