Used or refurbished industrial robots: what are you buying?

Ask what the sale label actually includes

Request a written definition of used, serviced, refurbished or remanufactured as applied to the specific serial-numbered package. Ask who did the work, when it was completed, what was replaced and what was tested afterwards. Treat cleaning and repainting as condition information, not evidence of restored mechanical performance. Avoid assuming that the seller's terminology implies a particular remaining life, inspection depth or warranty.

ABB's own remanufacturing page describes detailed inspection and functional testing for its certified offering. That demonstrates a manufacturer-defined programme, not an industry-wide meaning of refurbished. Ask any seller to supply the equivalent evidence for its claim and the actual warranty document for the quoted unit. The useful comparison is the documented scope and remaining uncertainty, including exclusions that a sales headline cannot explain.

References: Remanufacturing and Workshop Repair

Identify the arm, controller and missing dependencies

Create an asset list with robot and controller model, serial numbers, pendant, cables, power equipment, mounting items and installed options. Request clear identification photographs and reconcile them with the quotation. Check whether the controller belongs to that arm and whether any components have been substituted. A low-priced manipulator without compatible control hardware may be a spare-parts purchase rather than a practical route to a working cell.

Record the controller software release and the entitlements needed for your intended job. Confirm authorised access, editable program delivery and availability of a compatible recovery package. Ask the manufacturer or an authorised support organisation to identify what it can support using the actual equipment identities. Do not accept a promise of a future controller upgrade until compatibility, engineering work and commercial scope are documented.

Reconstruct history without pretending logs are complete

Request maintenance records, fault reports, repair invoices and available operating history. Ask about previous applications, environment, collisions, relocation and storage. Use inconsistencies to form inspection questions rather than alleging hidden damage. A changed controller, reset counter or gap in paperwork can limit what a runtime number tells you. Missing records are uncertainty that the purchase must address; they are not proof of either good condition or misconduct.

Separate replaced components from items merely inspected or cleaned. For each substantial repair, ask for the diagnosed fault, part identity, work date, responsible organisation and post-work checks. A controller replacement can resolve one failure while leaving the arm's mechanical history unchanged. Keep the scope specific enough that a later technician can understand which parts of the original system remain and which evidence applies to them.

Compare refurbishment evidence by component and test

Use a work-and-test matrix to compare offers without inventing a quality grade. Require results or supporting records for the work claimed, and mark unavailable evidence clearly. The table is an original purchasing structure; the buyer and competent inspector must define the actual examination and acceptance criteria. A certificate reading tested should identify the unit, configuration, method, date and outcome before it carries much weight.

Ask how findings were resolved and whether the final report was produced before or after the latest repair. If an arm passed a test and was subsequently disassembled for shipment or further work, determine which checks still apply and what must be repeated. For remote purchases, distinguish a seller's report from an independently witnessed assessment. Both can be useful, but they answer different questions about evidence provenance.

Commission an inspection that answers the buying risk

Give a competent robot specialist the intended application, documentation and known history gaps before inspection. Agree what can be assessed safely at the seller's location and what needs a workshop or later commissioning. Request examination of condition and operation appropriate to the model, including any concerns raised by records. Do not improvise loaded motion, brake tests or electrical work to obtain a quick purchasing answer.

HSE's inspection guidance links inspection needs to risk, installation conditions and deterioration, and describes competence in terms of knowing what to examine, what to look for and what action follows a finding. For the purchase, request a report that distinguishes observed condition, measured results and unexamined areas. A competent report can still be limited; make inaccessible assemblies and unavailable test conditions visible in the commercial decision.

References: Inspection of work equipment

Separate repair evidence from approval of the new cell

A robot that operated in its previous installation still needs assessment and commissioning in the proposed one. The new gripper, load, machine interface, mounting and protective measures change what must be demonstrated. Obtain an integration proposal before buying if your team cannot do that work. Factory refurbishment establishes only the scope documented by that programme; it does not approve an unrelated workshop application.

HSE distinguishes refurbishment toward the original specification from substantial changes to design, function or safety that can trigger further obligations. Use that distinction to ask the responsible machinery specialist about your project, particularly when a seller combines an older arm with a different control or safety arrangement. Do not assume that an old marking or a new coat of paint resolves the status of the resulting assembly.

References: Refurbished and modified machinery

Work through a hypothetical pair of offers

Imagine two offers for the same required handling task. Offer A is described as used, with a complete controller, identified cables and recent service records, but no relevant functional trial. Offer B is described as refurbished, with replacement seals and repainting documented, but an unclear software entitlement and no arm-controller pairing record. Neither description alone determines the better purchase; the unresolved dependencies differ.

For A, request a competent functional assessment and application feasibility evidence. For B, first resolve identity, authorised software access and compatibility, then examine what the refurbishment actually restored. Ask for quotations to close the gaps and estimate schedule exposure with the integrator. If a critical dependency cannot be resolved, keep the offer out of the production shortlist instead of hiding the uncertainty in a small contingency allowance.

Close the purchase around a usable, recoverable asset

Compare complete acquisition and restoration scope: inspection, missing items, freight, qualified handling, installation, integration, training and known repairs. Keep repair reserves separate from priced corrective work. Request warranty coverage, exclusions, claim procedure and support territory in writing; do not infer legal protection from a badge or marketplace category. Agree test evidence and delivery responsibilities in the actual purchase documents.

Before collection, obtain the approved transport instructions and assign competent handling. At the new site, separate receipt from commissioning and performance acceptance. Retain identification records, reports, backups and unresolved issues together. A good purchase leaves the workshop with an asset whose condition and limitations can be explained, supported and reassessed, even when some older components remain in service.

Checklist

• Obtain the seller's written refurbishment definition for the actual unit.
• Reconcile robot, controller, pendant, cables and installed options.
• Check authorised software access and model-specific support.
• Trace significant repairs to records and subsequent testing.
• Commission competent inspection with explicit limitations.
• Assess new-application integration separately from restoration work.
• Price missing scope and request the actual warranty terms.
• Plan qualified transport, recommissioning and recovery documentation.

Common questions