ABB Servo Drives Maintenance Guide

In the complex world of industrial automation, ABB servo drives are renowned for their precision and reliability. However, like any sophisticated machine, they can occasionally encounter problems that require maintenance or repair.

This guide is designed to provide technicians and engineers with a comprehensive understanding of common maintenance practices and a detailed overview of alarm codes associated with ABB servo drives. Armed with this knowledge, you will be able to effectively diagnose, troubleshoot and resolve a wide range of issues, ensuring that your robotic systems remain operational and efficient.

Let's delve into the essential methods for maintaining ABB drives and decipher the meaning behind the most common alarm codes.

3HAC029818-001 DSQC663 Drive Unit

3HAC036260-001/04 Servo Drive

Ⅰ. Common Maintenance Methods for ABB Servo Drive Units are as follows

1. Inspect the alarm fault codes and fault logs. Since the drive unit will display corresponding codes after a fault occurs, and different codes represent different faults, maintenance personnel can roughly determine the fault range of the servo drive unit through these fault codes.

2. Measure the voltage signals and power-on signals based on the fault phenomena. After the equipment fails, the fault location can be judged according to the fault phenomena, and then the voltage signals and continuity signals at the corresponding positions are measured. The main focus is to check whether the voltage signals and power signals are normal to find the real cause of the fault.

3. Determine the cause of the fault by detecting voltage and communication methods.

4. Measure the quality of the IGBT and brake resistors. Also, it is possible to measure whether the control lines are loose or if there are any arcing traces. Since these are the main reasons for drive failures, starting from these aspects can effectively shorten the repair time.

5. Replacement method. After the equipment fails, the fault can be excluded by the replacement method. That is, use a normal part to replace the suspected damaged part. If the equipment can return to normal operation after replacement, it can be determined that the original part is damaged.

Common fault repairs for ABB robot servo drive units include: motor phase short circuit, motor current rectifier start error, leakage resistor circuit short, unknown drive unit class, drive unit severe temperature error, missing drive unit, internal error of the drive unit, etc.

Servo Drive DSQC417 3HAC035381-001

3AXD5000005164 Control Module

Ⅱ. Common Alarm Codes for ABB Servo Drive Units are as follows:

34200 Communication interrupted with all drive units  

34202 Communication interrupted with ABB robot drive unit  

34267 Too many rectifiers connected  

34300 Unknown drive unit type  

34306 ABB robot drive unit temperature error  

34307 Drive unit temperature warning  

34308 Drive unit severe temperature error  

34309 Drive transistor current too high  

34311 Drive converter saturation warning  

34312 Missing drive device  

34313 Incorrect drive unit type  

34314 ABB robot servo drive node missing  

34318 Drive converter saturation error  

34319 Critical error in the drive device  

34320 Too many drive nodes connected  

34406 Drive device power supply error  

34407 Drive unit internal error  

34408 Drive unit hardware data error  

34409 Drive device startup error  

34410 Too many ABB robot drive units connected  

39407 Drive unit type code error  

39410 Drive unit communication alarm  

39411 Too many communication errors  

39413 Drive not synchronized  

39415 Communication interrupted with drive unit  

39416 Drive unit unresponsive  

39418 Unknown drive unit type code  

39420 Drive unit built-in test failed

3HAC025338-006 AC Servo Drive

3HAC025338-001/04A Servo Drive

Ⅲ. Practical Knowledge

1. Alarm Code: 20610 Motor Phase Short Circuit

Fault Phenomenon: The drive unit for contact arg reports a short circuit. The contact is connected with the unit position arg and node arg of the drive module arg.

Cause:

• Cable short circuit or connector short circuit between phases or with ground.
• Motor phase-to-phase or phase-to-ground short circuit.

Recommended Action:

• Inspect/replace cables and connectors.
• Inspect/replace the motor.

2. Alarm Code: 34316 Motor Current Error

Fault Phenomenon: For joint arg, the current controller detects a significant deviation in the motor's torque current. The joint is connected to the drive unit in the drive module arg, unit position arg, node arg.

Cause:

• Motor data in the configuration file may be incorrect.
• Improper or damaged motor cable connections.
• Short circuits between phases or between phases and ground in the motor cables.
• The DC link voltage may be too low.
• Input power supply voltage is out of specification.

Recommended Action:

• Verify that the motor data in the configuration file is correct for this joint.
• Check that the motor cables are not damaged or poorly connected.
• Ensure no internal short circuits or grounding in the motor cables.

 3. Alarm Code: 34261 Rectifier Startup Error

Fault Phenomenon: In the drive module arg, the inrush control relay in the rectifier unit at the drive unit position arg has given an error indication.

Cause:

This may be caused by a malfunction of the inrush control relay in the rectifier.

Recommended Action:

Restart the system and try again. If the problem persists, replace the unit.

4. Alarm Code: 34258 Bleeder Resistor Circuit Short Circuit

Fault Phenomenon: In the drive module arg, the bleeder resistor connected to the rectifier unit at the drive unit position arg indicates a short circuit.

Cause:

This may be due to a fault in the bleeder resistor or its cables.

Recommended Action:

• Ensure the bleeder resistor cables are correctly connected to the rectifier unit.
• Disconnect the bleeder resistor and then inspect the cables and measure the bleeder resistance value. The expected resistance should be approximately arg ohms.
• Check for any ground short circuits in the bleeder circuit.

5. Alarm Code: 34401DC Link Voltage Low Warning

Fault Phenomenon: In the drive module arg, the DC link voltage of the drive unit located at unit position arg is approaching the lower limit.

Cause:

The input power supply voltage of the rectifier unit is out of specification.

Recommended Action:

• Check for other hardware event log messages related to power supply voltage issues.
• Check the input power supply voltage. Adjust the minimum tolerance of the power supply so that the voltage is within the specified range.
• Check if the correct voltage has been selected using a jumper on the transformer (optional).
• Inspect all three-phase components inside the drive module (main power supply filter fuse and contactor) and lines.