KUKA KR QUANTEC-2 HC Maintenance and Rescue Guide

KUKA KR QUANTEC-2 HC Maintenance and Rescue Guide

KUKA KR QUANTEC-2 HC is a six axis articulated robot designed for medical environments, covering two models: KR 300 R2700-2 HC and KR 300 R2700-2 HC II. HC stands for Health Care, which means that the robot has added a patient rescue system, additional brakes, medical environment compliance declaration, and stricter safety logic on the basis of the standard QUANTEC-2 platform. For hospital equipment engineers, system integrators, and on-site maintenance personnel, mastering patient rescue operations, replacement of additional brakes, oil change cycles, and common fault troubleshooting are key to ensuring equipment availability and patient safety.

Model positioning and core differences

KR 300 R2700-2 HC and HC II both adopt a six axis articulated arm structure, with a rated load of 300 kg, a maximum arm span of 2701 mm, a body weight of about 1150 kg, a pose repeatability accuracy of ± 0.05 mm, a protection level of IP65, wrist IP65, and noise below 75 dB (A). The HC version supports KR C4 HC and KR C5 M6/M7 controllers, while HC II only supports KR C5 M6/M7. There is a slight difference in the axis data between the two: A4 for HC is infinite rotation, A6 is infinite rotation; The A4 of HC II is ± 350 °, A5 is ± 122.5 °, and A6 is infinite rotation. In terms of speed, A1 is about 105 °/s, A2 is about 100 °/s, A3 is about 105.4 °/s, A4 is about 135.8 °/s, A5 is about 113 °/s, and A6 is about 180 °/s.

The biggest difference from the standard QUANTEC-2 is the security architecture. The HC version is equipped with delayed additional brakes on the A2 to A5 axes as redundancy for the main brake. The additional brake is located between the motor and gearbox, providing holding and braking torque in the event of main brake failure. In addition, the HC version comes standard with a patient rescue system consisting of a storage box and a handheld device with an emergency stop button, which can manually move the robot by releasing the A1 or A1+A6 brake in case of power failure or emergency. The medical environment also requires compliance with RoHS and REACH declarations, and system integrators need to complete a risk assessment for medical use.

Operation and inspection of patient rescue system

The patient rescue system is used for manually moving robots in emergency situations, such as when a patient is stuck or requires emergency evacuation. The system consists of a storage box, handheld devices, emergency stop buttons, and connecting cables. When operating, first open the storage box cover, and the robot immediately triggers the safety STOP 1 and displays a confirmation message on the smartPAD. Take out the handheld device, pull up the emergency stop button, release the brake of A1 or A1+A6, and the shaft can be manually moved. Press the emergency stop button to reactivate the brake and manually move to stop.

Patient rescue can be performed with the controller turned on or off. If the controller is turned on, there is no need to re master after rescue; If the controller is turned off, all axes must be remade after rescue. The battery is the key to the rescue system, and the controller must be powered on for at least 24 hours before first use to ensure that the battery is fully charged. Battery failure will prevent rescue operations and must be replaced. The system integrator needs to ensure that the rescue system is always accessible during equipment operation. According to the maintenance table, patient rescue function testing should be performed at least once a year. Open the storage box cover during inspection, confirm that the robot stops and displays STOP 1, remove the handheld device, pull out the emergency stop button, confirm that the axis can be manually moved, press the emergency stop button, and confirm that the brake is restored. After the inspection is completed, run the program in T1 mode and observe for any abnormalities.

The function and replacement logic of the additional brake

The additional brake is installed on the A2 to A5 axes and belongs to the delayed action secondary brake. When the main brake (built-in to the motor) fails, the additional brake is responsible for maintaining and braking torque. When replacing the additional brake, the motor of the corresponding shaft must be removed first, and then the additional brake must be removed. Taking A2 as an example: first fix the connecting rod arm with a sling, remove motor A2, and then remove the additional brake A2; during installation, install the additional brake in reverse order, first install the additional brake, and then install the motor. The A3 axis needs to first fix the robot arm, then remove the motor A3, and then remove the additional brake A3. The replacement of the additional brake on the A4 and A5 axes is more complex, requiring the motor A4/A5 to be removed first, and then the additional brake to be removed. When installing, pay attention to the coordination between the connecting shaft and the compression spring.

All installation surfaces of additional brakes need to be cleaned, and a small amount of Microlube GL 261 grease should be applied to the teeth to prevent grease from entering the brake and affecting the braking effect. Tighten the bolts step by step in diagonal order to the specified torque, and apply white thread locking adhesive. When inserting the connector, pay attention to the coding element and rotate it to the buckle lock. After the replacement is completed, it is necessary to re master the relevant axes and test them in T1 mode.