ABB Drive & VFD Repair Services
Signs of a Failing ABB Drive
ABB ACS and ACH drives usually give a warning before they go down completely. Operators report speed loss, nuisance trips, a drive that won’t start, or an output contactor that won’t seal in. On ACS550 and ACH550 units the fault-listing table on the keypad or in the manual pairs the numeric code with a cause: fault 1 is OVERCURRENT, fault 2 is DC OVERVOLT, fault 3 is DEV OVERTEMP, fault 4 is SHORT CIRC, fault 6 is DC UNDERVOLT, faults 7 and 8 point to lost signal at AI1 or AI2, fault 9 is MOT OVERTEMP, fault 10 is PANEL LOSS, fault 11 is ID RUN FAIL, fault 12 is MOTOR STALL, faults 14 and 15 are EXT FAULT 1 and 2, fault 16 is EARTH FAULT, and fault 28 is SERIAL 1 ERR.
On ACS355 drives, codes 0044, 0045 and 0046 point to SAFE TORQUE OFF and lost STO1/STO2 signals. ACS310 units keep the most recent fault in parameter 0401 LAST FAULT. ACS150 drives report output wiring problems as F0035 OUTP WIRING. A fault code is a starting point, not a diagnosis – it narrows where to look.
How We Repair and Rebuild ABB Drives
Repair starts with the same intake process ABB describes for drive service: visual inspection, thorough cleaning, and fault-finding analysis before any part is replaced. Many faults trace back to something other than the power section – loose motor wiring, a failed control-panel connection, a fieldbus timeout set too short, or a stalled load – so we confirm the fault against the wiring and configuration before condemning a board.
When a component has actually failed, we replace it at board or module level: IGBTs, input bridges, control boards, fan assemblies, and power supplies. Drives that have been in storage or sitting unpowered get capacitor reforming per ABB’s documented procedure for ACS150, ACS310, ACS355, ACS550 and ACH550 boards before they’re powered up at full bus voltage. IRC5 robot controller drive units get the same inspect-clean-test sequence, with axis drive modules checked individually.
Models and part families we repair:
- ABB ACS150, ACS310, ACS355 compact drives
- ABB ACS550 and ACS580 general-purpose drives
- ABB ACS800 and ACS880 drives
- ABB ACH550 HVAC drives
- ABB IRC5 robot controller drive units and axis modules
Testing and Verification Before Return
Before a repaired drive goes back out, we verify the fix against the original complaint rather than just clearing the fault. That means checking the specific fault code and cause noted at intake, confirming the repaired component reads correctly at rest, and then running the drive under load where load-test equipment is available and appropriate for the unit’s frame size and voltage.
A functional test at full load is part of a defensible repair, not just a bench power-up. We check DC bus voltage, output waveform, current balance across phases, and confirm the STO or safety circuit responds correctly on drives that use it. We do not apply a single fixed burn-in time to every ACS or IRC5 drive unit – test duration is set by the unit’s size, the failure mode being verified, and whether load-test equipment matching that frame is available. Results are documented before the unit ships.
Preventing ABB Drive Failures
Most ABB drive failures are preventable or at least predictable if someone is watching the right signals. Heat and dust are the two biggest shorteners of drive life – check that cooling fans turn freely, heat sinks aren’t packed with debris, and enclosure filters are actually being changed on schedule.
Trend the fault log instead of just clearing it. A drive that logs occasional DC UNDERVOLT or DC OVERVOLT faults before it fails completely is telling you something about incoming power or the braking circuit. Motor overtemperature faults that show up more often point to a cooling or loading problem on the motor side, not the drive. If a drive has been stored or left unpowered for an extended period, plan for capacitor reforming before startup rather than energizing it cold – ABB documents this for the ACS150, ACS310, ACS355, ACS550 and ACH550 families. Loose motor and control wiring should be checked on a schedule, not only after a fault appears.
Repair vs Replacement
A drive down on a production line is a cost per hour, and that math usually favors repair over waiting on a new unit, especially for ACS800 and older ACS550-series drives where new-unit lead times can run long and some part numbers are no longer in active production. Repairing the unit you have keeps the mechanical and electrical installation – conduit, wiring, mounting – exactly as it is, with no re-engineering of the cabinet.
Replacement makes more sense when a drive has repeat failures of the same component, when the frame size no longer matches the application, or when a newer family like the ACS580 or ACS880 offers a feature the process actually needs. For everything else – a single fault, a bad board, a failed capacitor bank – repair is usually the faster and lower-cost path back to running.
Why Choose Robotics Integration for ABB Drive Repair
Robotics Integration works on ABB low-voltage AC drives across the ACS150, ACS310, ACS355, ACS550, ACS580, ACS800 and ACS880 families, the ACH550 HVAC line, and ABB IRC5 robot controller drive units, alongside other industrial drive and robot brands. That range matters when a plant runs mixed equipment and needs one point of contact instead of separate vendors per brand.
We handle repair-and-return service for drives that can be pulled and shipped, and on-site support for equipment that’s hard to remove or where the fault needs to be diagnosed in place. Quoting starts with the drive’s nameplate information and the fault code or symptom you’re seeing – from there we can tell you what the likely repair scope is and what we’d need in hand to confirm it before work starts.
Request an ABB Drive Repair Quote
To get a quote on ABB drive repair, send the drive’s full model and part number from the nameplate, the fault or alarm code showing on the keypad, and a description of what the equipment was doing when it failed – tripped mid-run, won’t power up, throws nuisance faults, or won’t hold a setpoint. This applies whether the unit is an ACS-series VFD or an IRC5 robot controller drive unit. Photos of the nameplate and of any visibly damaged components, boards, or connectors help us scope the repair before the unit even arrives at the shop.
If the drive is down now, call 1-602-449-1556 to talk through the symptoms and fault code with a technician and find out what information we need to put together a repair quote.
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