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How to Pack Your Robot for Shipping

Pack your Universal Robots arm, cabinet, or both on a pallet to ship them, for example for repair or return. Remove attachments, move the arm to its packing position, and unplug the cables. Also called crating or put in box.

Written by Doug Ayers

This guide shows you how to pack your robot arm, your robot's cabinet, or both, so you can ship them. You might do this to send your robot for repair or to return parts.

These steps work on both PolyScope 5 and PolyScope X.

Before You Start

  • Have a phone or camera to take photos of the setup before you take it apart.

  • Get a pallet, straps, and plastic wrap to hold the arm and cabinet during shipping.

  • Have a socket and ratchet set, hex keys, and Torx drivers to remove the clamps, fin, torch, Smart Puck, and base bolts.

  • Get at least one other person to help lift the arm. Use a hoist and lifting strap if you have them.

  • Have a box for the teach pendant, if you ship the cabinet.

If you still have the cardboard cover your robot came in, you can reuse it to cover the pallet.

Take Photos of the Setup

Take photos now so you can put the robot back together the same way.

  1. Take a photo of the whole robot on the work table, from the front and from the back.

  2. Take a close photo of each end of every cable. Include the connectors on the cabinet and the connector at the base of the arm.

  3. Take a photo of the fin, the torch, and the Smart Puck on the arm. These show which way each part faces.

Put a piece of tape with a number on each cable and on its port. Matching numbers make it faster to plug everything back in.

Prepare the Arm

Skip this section if you are shipping only the cabinet.

Remove the Attachments

Important

Power off the robot before you remove any part from the arm. Unplugging the Smart Puck cable while the robot has power can damage the port on the arm.

  1. Power off the robot.

  2. Unplug the cables from the Smart Puck.

  3. Remove the clamps and straps that hold the cables along the arm.

  4. Remove the fin from the upper arm.

  5. Remove the torch from the torch mount.

  6. Remove the Smart Puck. The torch mount comes off with it.

  7. Remove the tool flange adapter from the end of the arm.

Put the screws and bolts from each part in their own labeled bag. Pack the bags with the parts.

Move the Arm to Its Packing Position

The packing position folds the arm so it fits on the pallet and doesn't move during shipping.

  1. Power on the robot and initialize the arm.

  2. Move the arm to its packing position.

    The arm should now be folded tight, close to its base.

    Robot arm folded in its packing position

If the arm can't reach its packing position, do not ship it stretched out. Tap the Support menu in Beacon to send us a message before you continue.

Unplug the Arm

Important

Never unplug the cable between the arm and the cabinet while the robot has power. Power off the robot and unplug the main power first.

  1. Power off the robot.

  2. Unplug the main power cable from the robot's cabinet.

  3. Press and hold the power button on the teach pendant for 5 seconds.
    This drains the remaining power from the robot and its cabinet.

  4. Unplug the arm's cable.

Remove the Arm

Important

The arm is heavy, and most of its weight is at the base. Use at least two people. Use a hoist and lifting strap if you have one.

  1. Have another person hold the arm steady.

  2. Remove the bolts from the base of the arm.

  3. Lift the arm off the table. Set it down on the pallet, standing on its base.
    ​

    Lifting the folded robot arm with a sling and hoist while a person supports it

Leave the other cables plugged into the cabinet. It makes setup faster when the arm comes back.

Prepare the Cabinet

Skip this section if you are shipping only the arm.

Unplug the Cabinet

Important

Never unplug the cable between the arm and the cabinet while the robot has power. Power off the robot and unplug the main power first.

  1. Power off the robot.

  2. Unplug the main power cable from the robot's cabinet.

  3. Press and hold the power button on the teach pendant for 5 seconds.
    This drains the remaining power from the robot and its cabinet.

  4. Unplug every cable from the cabinet. This includes the arm's cable, the Ethernet cable, and the cables to the operator button box and the welder or plasma cutter.

    Only the teach pendant should still be plugged into the cabinet.

Remove the Cabinet

Important

The cabinet holds the robot's computer. Lift it by its handle and set it down gently. A hard knock can damage the parts inside.

  1. Remove the bolts that hold the cabinet to the work table.

  2. Lift the cabinet out by its handle. It is heavy, so get help if you need it.

  3. Set the cabinet down on the pallet, standing upright.

  4. Put the teach pendant in a box with padding around it. Leave its cable plugged into the cabinet.

Pack the Pallet

  1. Strap the arm, the cabinet, or both to the pallet.

    1. Strap the arm at its base and at two points on each of its long sections.

    2. Stand the cabinet upright.

  2. Put the teach pendant box and the bags of screws and bolts on the pallet. Strap or tape them down.

  3. Wrap the whole pallet in plastic wrap, or cover it with the cardboard cover.

How to Verify

Push on everything on the pallet. Nothing should move. The arm should be folded, not stretched out.

Still Need Help?

Tap the Support menu in Beacon to send us a message.

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