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Retired industrial robots can be redeployed, refurbished or rebuilt for another job, kept for compatible spare parts, or decommissioned and disposed of. A refurbished robot can be safe, but its label and past service do not prove that it is safe for a new task. The robot, controller, tooling, safeguards and entire work cell must be evaluated together, with safeguards checked after the work.
What can happen to an industrial robot when it is retired?
Retirement from one production line does not necessarily mean the machine has reached the end of its useful life. The appropriate route depends on its condition, supportability and fit for the next use. No reliable industry-wide rate is established for how many retired robots are reused, stripped for parts, recycled or scrapped.
Keep it in service or redeploy it
A robot taken out of one line may suit another task, but the new application must match its mechanical and electrical condition, controller and software support, reach, payload, operating environment and available documentation. The end-effector and the surrounding cell also matter: a change in task or layout can change the hazards, even if the robot itself is unchanged.
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Repair or overhaul may return a robot to operation, either in its previous role or in a different application. OSHA’s technical guidance calls for evaluating older or obsolete robots and applications that have been rebuilt or remanufactured, including whether upgrades to current industry standards are appropriate. It also calls for checking that safeguards and risk-reduction measures are present and functioning after commissioning, remanufacture, rebuild, maintenance or service. See OSHA’s robotics technical guidance.
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Keep compatible components for service
Retaining serviceable parts is another possible maintenance route, but available evidence does not establish how common parts harvesting is or which components are available for a particular make and model. Before relying on a used component, confirm compatibility and traceability with the original equipment manufacturer or a qualified supplier.
Decommission and dispose of it
Disposal is also part of the equipment lifecycle. ISO 10218-2:2025 includes decommissioning and disposal within its scope, but the standard’s scope alone does not specify how to handle every machine’s materials or what local waste and environmental rules apply. Those requirements depend on the equipment and jurisdiction.
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Can a refurbished industrial robot be safe?
Potentially—but “refurbished” describes work performed on equipment; it is not a safety certification for the robot or its application. Safe reuse requires evaluating the specific machine and the complete system it will operate in. Past safe operation does not establish safety after a repair, change of task or new installation.
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- Identify the equipment: confirm the model and configuration, controller, software, available manuals and parts support.
- Review its history: establish what service and modifications it has undergone, and assess the mechanical and electrical condition rather than relying on a refurbishment description.
- Define the intended application: check whether reach, payload, speed and operating environment suit the task.
- Assess the complete work cell: include the robot, end-effector, workpieces, controls, guarding, interlocks and how people interact with the installation.
- Address risks and verify safeguards: have competent people assess the application, select or update risk-reduction measures, and confirm the safeguards work before production.
- Plan support and lifecycle costs: consider integration, commissioning, maintenance, parts and the eventual end-of-life route, not just the purchase or overhaul.
These are practical evaluation points, not a universal checklist quoted from OSHA. OSHA specifically identifies programming, maintenance, testing, setup and adjustment as non-routine work in which employees may enter a robot’s working envelope and face injury from unintended operation. See OSHA’s guidance on robotics hazards.
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Why does the whole robot cell matter?
An industrial robot arm is only one part of an installation. A different tool, workpiece, control arrangement or cell layout can create hazards that were not present in the robot’s previous job. Safeguards must therefore be appropriate to the application, not merely present on the machine when it leaves a refurbishment shop.
The distinction is reflected in the 2025 editions of the ISO 10218 standards. ISO 10218-1:2025, published February 5, 2025, covers safety requirements for industrial robots as machines. ISO 10218-2:2025, edition 2 published in February 2025, covers industrial robot applications and cells, including integration, commissioning, operation, maintenance, decommissioning and disposal. Which requirements apply to a particular project depends on its jurisdiction and circumstances.
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What rules and standards apply in the United States?
OSHA says, “There are currently no specific OSHA standards for the robotics industry.” That does not mean robots are unregulated. OSHA identifies generally applicable workplace requirements relevant to robotics, including machine guarding and hazardous-energy control, as well as consensus standards such as ANSI/RIA R15.06. OSHA distinguishes those consensus standards from OSHA regulations. Applicable legal requirements depend on the location, machine configuration and use. See OSHA’s hazardous-energy control standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, and its robotics standards and guidance.
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