Key takeaways
- OEM warranties cover defects in the unit, not bad maps or wrong chemistry.
- Integrator warranties should name configuration, training, and first response.
- Duplicated coverage still leaves gaps if nobody owns escalation.
- Accessories and third party docks need their own warranty line.
- One phone tree beats two help desks when the robot stops at night.
Who owns the robot when it fails at two in the morning?
The night manager sees a fault code. The OEM help desk says call your integrator. The integrator says open a factory ticket. Warranty responsibility should never feel like a relay race.
The direct answer: the manufacturer warranty covers defects in hardware and factory firmware under stated conditions. The integrator warranty covers how the unit was configured, installed, mapped, and supported in your building. Buyers need both documents side by side with a clear escalation path.
Gaps appear when each party assumes the other already fixed the map, the dock, or the chemical approval.
Your warranty packet should read like a playbook, not a pile of PDFs from two vendors.
What does an OEM warranty typically cover?
Factory coverage usually addresses manufacturing defects in the robot, charger, and included components for a fixed term from shipment or acceptance. Battery clauses often differ from drive system clauses.
Software updates may ship under the same term or a separate license. Misuse, unauthorized modifications, and unapproved chemicals commonly void coverage.
OEM warranties rarely promise uptime on your floor. They promise to repair or replace defective parts when you prove the failure is theirs.
What should an integrator warranty cover?
Integrator obligations should include site acceptance, map accuracy at handoff, accessory compatibility, and labor for field service within response times you negotiated.
Training completion and documented SOPs belong here. If staff skip lockout steps, the integrator should say how that affects support.
Maintenance included plans may wrap OEM parts handling so you do not open two tickets for one bad motor.
Where do configuration and installation sit?
A robot that fails because a dock sits on a slope is an integration issue. A robot that fails because a motor bearing was defective is an OEM issue. Mixed cases need a written split.
Wi-Fi VLAN setup, elevator integrations, and building access credentials are integrator scope unless the OEM sold a turnkey bundle.
Remapping after remodels should state whether the first remap is warranty work or billable.
How do accessories change the picture?
Third party pads, bins, or top modules may void OEM coverage if installed without approval. The integrator should list approved accessories in the warranty appendix.
Custom fabrication for your facility is almost always integrator scope. Factory defects in a standard bin are OEM scope.
Keep serial numbers for every accessory in the asset log.
What about duplicated coverage?
Two parties both promising twenty four hour response sounds comforting until neither dispatches because the other is primary on paper.
Mark primary and secondary on each failure type: hardware, software, map, network, training.
Duplicated parts coverage can be fine if one party bills back the other under a clear process.
- Primary contact per fault category.
- Shared ticket system or portal access.
- Defined handoff time between OEM and integrator.
- Loaner source named in writing.
How should escalation read in the contract?
Step one is remote triage. Step two is on site within agreed hours. Step three is loaner or swap if repair exceeds a day threshold.
Name who pays travel for rural sites. Robot repair service nationwide language means little without a zone table.
Escalation should include a human phone tree, not only email queues.
What gaps do buyers miss most often?
Consumables are rarely warranty items but they stop runs when wrong pads are installed.
Environmental exclusions for humidity, salt, or dust matter in real buildings.
Cyber incidents and network outages are usually outside OEM hardware warranty.
Professional service robot fleets keep growing, with IFR reporting more than 205,000 professional units registered in 2023. Larger fleets make warranty gaps more expensive because downtime multiplies across sites.
How does field service interact with warranty?
On site dispatch under warranty should list parts, labor, and travel separately so finance can see what repeats each year.
Remote triage hours may be unlimited in marketing but capped in the fine print. Ask for the cap before go-live.
Loaner units need their own warranty start dates if they are not your serial numbers.
What should buyers ask before signature?
Request a sample ticket closed under OEM warranty and one closed under integrator SLA from a reference site.
Ask how firmware updates are staged so maps are not wiped without notice.
Confirm who stocks spare batteries locally for your model family.
- OEM warranty PDF with start trigger.
- Integrator SLA with response zones.
- Accessory approval list.
- Chemical approval list.
- Escalation phone tree.
How do rental and lease deals split warranty?
The lessor may hold OEM coverage while the integrator holds service SLAs. You still need one number to call.
Robot rental monthly contracts should say who pays freight on returns and how long loaners last.
End of lease return inspections should not blame normal wear on the operator without photos.
What belongs in the warranty appendix?
Attach OEM excerpt, integrator SLA, accessory list, chemical approvals, and escalation chart on one page.
Renewal should revisit all three, not only price.
Store acceptance sign off with map version beside the warranty start date.
Where does Service Robot Co. fit warranty splits?
We document factory coverage and our field obligations in one packet so night staff know who to call. Vendor neutral selection means we translate OEM terms across brands instead of leaving you to compare alone.
A free site assessment can flag accessory and chemistry risks before warranty clocks start. One partner one number is the operating goal even when two warranties exist on paper.
