KUKA KR C4 midsize; KR C4 midsize CK medium-sized control cabinet

The KR C4 midsize belongs to the KUKA KR C4 series medium-sized control cabinet, which supports CK (Customer Built Kinematics) and can support up to 8 axes. It is designed for medium load robots, positioners, and a small number of external axis applications. The target audience is engineers with expertise in electrical, robotics, and Windows. It is recommended to participate in KUKA’s official training.

Purpose

Target audience: System integrators, debugging and maintenance engineers;

Designated use: Drive KUKA robotic arms, linear units, positioners, CK customer customized mechanisms that comply with ISO10218-1;

Prohibited use scenarios: trampling on cabinets, operating beyond specifications, explosion-proof environments, underground mining.

Product Description

Complete system: robotic arm+KR C4 midsize control cabinet+smartPAD teaching pendant+cables+KSS software+options.

Core hardware unit

KPC Control PC: Supports four motherboards: D2608-K/D3076-K/D3236-K/D3445-K; Responsible for human-machine interface, program editing, path planning, driver control, communication, and security monitoring.

KPP KUKA power pack: rectifies AC to generate DC intermediate circuit voltage, supplies power to servo units, integrates brake chopper, provides multiple current specifications, and panel LED status indication.

KSP KUKA servo package: servo driver, multiple peak current specifications, performs motor field oriented torque control.

CCU cabinet control unit (CIB+PMB): complete power distribution, internal bus communication, safety IO, fan/temperature monitoring, main contactor control, Mastering origin testing; Power outage relies on backup battery to store location and controlled shutdown; Test the health status of the battery with built-in load.

SIB Security Interface Board (Standard SIB+Extended SIB Expansion Board): Standard SIB provides 5 secure inputs and 3 secure outputs; Extended SIB can be extended to 8 inputs and 8 outputs for safety options such as SafeRangeMonitoring, and must be paired with standard SIB.

RDC rotary digital converter: collects up to 8 axis motor rotary positions and motor temperatures; EDS memory storage origin configuration; Support RDC-Cool wide temperature version; The length difference of multi-channel RDC box cables shall not exceed 10 meters.

CSP controller system panel: running, sleep, automatic, fault LED; USB, KLI (upper communication), KSI (service network interface).

Low voltage power supply unit, backup battery pack, power filter.

Three major bus systems

KCB controller bus: KPP, KSP, RDC, CIB;

KSB safety bus: SIB, SION safety IO nodes smartPAD；

KEB expansion bus: EtherCAT, various IO and fieldbus options.

Interface key constraint: Choose between discrete safety interface X11 and Ethernet safety interface X66 (PROFIsafe/CIP-Safety), they cannot be enabled simultaneously.

Cooling architecture: dual loop cooling; Heat exchanger cooling control electronic components; External fans directly dissipate heat to KPP/KSP and braking resistors; Do not install filter cotton on the ventilation opening as it may overheat and shorten the lifespan of the device.

Optional accessories: smartPAD bracket; Roller kit, only for short distance movement inside the cabinet, prohibits long-distance dragging; The cabinet is reserved with TS35 rails for customers to install third-party components.

Technical Data

Mechanical parameters: overall dimensions of the machine, ground mounting openings, and technical cabinet adaptation openings; Cabinet door opening angle (maximum 180 ° for independent cabinets, approximately 155 ° for side-by-side cabinets); Minimum maintenance clearance for cabinets (top ≥ 300   mm, side ≥ 50   mm, rear ≥ 100   mm).

Electrical parameters: power supply specifications, fuses, external PELV-24V power supply specifications (rated 27V, continuous current>8A); The smartPAD cable can be extended in up to two sections, with a total length of ≤ 50 meters.

Environmental conditions: working temperature, storage temperature, altitude derating, resistance to vibration and impact;

Electrical parameters of SIB safety board: input/output threshold, maximum capacitive/resistive load for test output, maximum cable length;

Nameplates and warning labels: high temperature warning, residual high voltage warning (maximum 780   VDC in the middle circuit, wait for 180 seconds for discharge when power is cut off), nameplates are strictly prohibited from being painted or removed;

REACH SVHC Substance Description; The safety performance meets EN ISO 13849-1 Cat.3/PL d, with PFH failure rate data attached.

Security

Explanation of EC Machinery Directive; Robots belong to “partially completed machinery”, and system integrators are responsible for overall risk assessment. Unauthorized modification of software and hardware will result in loss of warranty.

Personnel qualification differentiation: System integrators, maintenance personnel, operators, all personnel must read the safety chapter.

Definition of danger zone: robot workspace+braking stop distance; The distance test must be stopped with actual tool load, and the equipment should be tested after running in a hot state for about 1 hour, taking the worst-case scenario result.

Stop category

STOP 0: Immediately cut off the power supply to the drive and brake;

STOP1: Controller controlled deceleration shutdown, cutting off the drive after shutdown;

STOP2: Keep the drive powered on and execute the static monitoring Safe Operational Stop after shutdown.

Four operating modes

Mode description

T1 manual deceleration mode, Cartesian maximum 250 mm/s, used for teaching programming

T2 manual high speed, allows>250 mm/s, prohibits teaching programming

AUT control cabinet local automatic mode

AUT-EXT upper PLC external control automatic mode

Switching modes during operation will trigger STOP2.

Safety devices

Emergency stop; Three level enable switch (middle position allows movement; fully press → STOP1; Release → STOP2); Enable the switch to undergo functional testing at least once a year.

External emergency stop must be configured to prevent the system from losing emergency stop protection after unplugging the teaching pendant; External safety door, external enable input.

T1 mode speed monitoring: axis speed+Cartesian flange speed monitoring.

Multiple protection measures: jog Jog mode, software limit, mechanical hard limit, optional mechanical shaft limit; Manual movement of the robotic arm without driving energy is only for personnel rescue and may damage the motor brake. Brake function testing must be conducted afterwards.

Start up mode: T1 jog when external security protection is not ready; It will block external security protection, only for debugging and troubleshooting, and no one is allowed to stay in the danger zone; There are differences in the logical behavior of the startup mode between KSS8.2 and earlier versions, as well as versions 8.3 and above.

SPOC single point control principle: Submit interpreter PLC、OPC、 Remote tools and WorkVisual online configuration must be subject to security restrictions to prevent accidental movements caused by background variable rewriting.

Safety points for each working condition

IT Security: It is recommended to deploy information security management;

Debugging: Change default password; After the machine data is changed, it must be verified through practical operation; Provide practical verification and testing steps for TCP calibration, axis coupling mechanism, and palletizing robot;

Manual mode: New/modified programs must prioritize T1 low-speed testing; Multiple people entering the protective zone, each person independently activating the device;

Maintenance: Power off and lock the entire machine; There is high voltage in the intermediate circuit, wait for at least 5 minutes to discharge after power failure; Strictly implement ESD anti-static measures;

Scrap storage follows local regulations.

Reference the complete set of EU/international standard lists (Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, EN ISO13849-1, EN60204-1, etc.).

Planning and Design (Pre integration)

EMC electromagnetic compatibility: Shielded wires are used for external cables, and the shielding layer is extensively crimped with PE bars; The control cabinet belongs to Class A industrial equipment.

Installation conditions: independent floor or cabinet group side by side; Meet the minimum maintenance gap; The cabinet door can be fully opened;

PE equipotential mandatory requirement: 16mm ² equipotential cable between the robotic arm and the control cabinet; The control cabinet body to the PE row of the distribution cabinet also uses 16mm ² cables.

Motor connectors (focus of this chapter) support X20 body motor connectors, X7 series single external axis connectors, X81/X82 multi axis combination connectors; Support 3-8 axis configuration; Contains a large number of pin assignments and servo module mapping combination tables, suitable for standard robots, heavy-duty, and palletizing models.

X11 Discrete Security Interface (50 Chip D-Sub)

Dual channel dynamic pulse test TA-A/TA-B;

External emergency stop, safety door, external enable switch;

Attached schematic diagram: external emergency stop wiring, safety door wiring, floating contact safety input/output wiring;

The safety gate must be equipped with a confirmation button outside the fence, and automatic reset and operation are prohibited when closing the door.

X66 Ethernet safety interface: PROFIsafe/CIP Safety, SafeOperation option; Complete input/output byte bit definition, reserved bit recommendation to force write 1 to avoid unexpected downtime.

CIB board EtherCAT interface X44/X65;

Equipment replacement rules: When replacing hard drives, boards, adding or deleting shafts/peripherals, the system must be reconfigured using WorkVisual software.

Transportation

Four transportation methods: lifting with lifting rings, forklift, pallet handling, and optional rollers;

The roller kit is only used for short distance movement inside the cabinet group. Dragging and transporting vehicles is strictly prohibited as there is a risk of tipping over;

Transportation prerequisites: power outage, removal of all cables, closure of cabinet doors, upright placement, installation of anti tipping brackets;

Pay attention to the angle of the lifting equipment during lifting; Forklift/pallet handling base fork groove usage standards, prohibit rough operation.

Startup and Re Debugging

Complete power on process:

Visually inspect the robotic arm and control cabinet to confirm that there is no condensation;

Install the control cabinet in place;

Lay motor cables and X21 RDC data cables separately, following the cable bending radius; After replacing the RDC data cable, Mastering origin calibration must be performed again;

Install the smartPAD bracket and plug in the teaching pendant;

Connect PE equipotential;

Harting X1 connected to the main power supply;

Restore battery discharge protection plug X305;

Plug in configuration X11 or X66 safety interface in power-off state;

After modifying the hardware configuration, WorkVisual completes the system engineering configuration; Enable Start up startup mode as needed;

Clear the dangerous area of personnel and objects, release the emergency stop, and turn on the power.

Equipment Operation

Explain the smartPAD teaching pendant: front buttons (mode knob, emergency stop, space mouse, jog, start stop, override, menu); Three level enable switch and USB interface on the back.

After unplugging the teaching pendant, the emergency stop of this machine fails; Reconnect and wait for about 30 seconds. The emergency stop and three gear enable switches must be retested; The unplugged teaching pendant should be removed from the work area to prevent mixing.

Maintenance

Maintenance of safety prerequisites: power off and lock, disconnect the incoming power supply; Wait for the intermediate circuit to discharge for 5 minutes; ESD anti-static; Do not blow compressed air directly into the cabinet.

maintenance cycle

Every 6 months: SIB/Extended SIB relay output function check;

Every year: complete functional testing of all emergency stop and enable switches; Clean the fan radiator according to the dirt condition;

Three shift operation for 5 years: replacement of PC fans, external fans, and internal fans;

Replace the pressure relief filter plug immediately if it changes color; If the battery monitoring alarm occurs, replace the battery pack in pairs.

Maintenance work content: SIB relay output testing (local emergency stop, operator safety confirmation, peripheral enable output, alarm space output, SafeOperation status output); Complete machine cleaning; After completing maintenance, check for worn fuses, plugs, grounding, and cables.

Maintenance and Replacement

Maintenance can only use KUKA original spare parts; High strength 10.9 screws must be replaced after disassembly and cannot be reused. Each component includes safety prerequisites, tool list, step-by-step disassembly and assembly, connector definition, tightening torque, and functional testing after replacement. List of replaceable parts:

External fan, internal fan module;

KPC complete set, PC fan, motherboard button battery, hard drive SSD/SATA, dual port network card;

KPP power pack, KSP servo pack; 

Replacing KPP/KSP requires waiting for the intermediate circuit to discharge for 5 minutes, and the heat sink of the shell should be high-temperature to prevent burns;

CCU cabinet control unit;

SIB standard security board, Extended SIB extended security board;

RDC rotary to digital converter;

Battery pack (divided into two installation positions behind the cooling air duct and inside the cabinet door, must be replaced in pairs, with strict attention to polarity to prevent short circuits; battery storage requires regular recharging);

Low voltage power supply unit; Pressure relief filter plug; Power filter;

Installation of KSS system software;

After replacing the hard disk and board hardware, the system must be reconfigured through WorkVisual.

Troubleshooting

Complete set of CCU board LED indicator lights: power supply, bus, safety node, fuse LED, different flashing colors/frequencies corresponding to fault phenomena and countermeasures; CCU all fuse numbers, rated currents, purposes, and red LED prompts for melting.

Interpretation of LED status on RDC and CSP system panels.

Four motherboards (D2608-K/D3076-K/D3236-K/D3445-K) have network port Link/Activity LEDs.

SIB/Extended SIB security board LED, semiconductor self recovery insurance reset method.

KPP and KSP servo module LED status; Complete table of error codes and warning messages for the 260xx series: overload, ground fault, overcurrent, intermediate circuit overvoltage and undervoltage, logic power supply fault, overtemperature, motor phase loss, communication fault, braking resistor fault. Provide the cause and solution for each fault.

Shutdown, Storage, and Scrap Disposal

Shutdown and return: Disconnect all external motor cables and grounding wires to prepare for transportation;

Long term storage: indoor dry and dustproof, no condensation; Remove the battery and seal the interface casing for protection; Regular battery replenishment: ≤ 20 ℃ every 9 months; 20-30 ℃ every 6 months; 30-40 ℃ every 3 months;

Scrap and disassembly: classified by material; Used batteries are classified as hazardous waste and should be returned to suppliers for recycling. Disposal of household waste is prohibited.