What the FollowErr alarm means

The actual axis position drifted beyond the allowed window from the commanded position; the controller stops the robot to protect accuracy and mechanics. In our Staubli service archive this alarm on CS8 / CS9 (VAL3) systems shows up constantly, and the first on-site inspection almost always locates it.

Most common causes

  • Mechanical interference or collision
  • Payload/inertia settings wrong for the mounted tool
  • Degraded reducer or worn brake slipping
  • Drive tuning degraded or encoder noise
Field note: The first cause is the most common in the field — check it first, then work through the rest.

Step-by-step field fix

  1. Remove any physical interference
  2. Verify the tool weight/inertia parameters
  3. Check axis backdrivability and listen for reducer noise
  4. Reduce speed on the failing move and compare behavior
  5. If following error persists with no mechanical cause, have the drive tuning and encoder circuit checked
Safety first: For Staubli followerr, this alarm family points at arm motion control: after a reset the arm can move unexpectedly, and anyone inside the working envelope is at strike and pinch risk. On site you may look at after confirming power-off the first step yourself: Remove any physical interference. Beyond that it is the arm working envelope work - leave it to a professional.

How we diagnose motion alarms on site

Staubli followerr belongs to the motion & path family. On Staubli followerr the failing stage is drive modules plus the 24 V external supply circuit (24VEXT alarms point there) on the CS8 / CS9 - the gap between command and execution: trajectory planning, joint limits, singularities, following error and mechanical resistance. We start reading Staubli followerr at the pendant error list and VAL3 log, with cabinet module indicators.

The chain involved in Staubli followerr runs: program command -> trajectory planner -> joint targets -> servo execution -> actual position feedback -> deviation compare.

First check whether Staubli followerr only appears at one pose - A six-axis arm near wrist extension or near axis-5 zero has a Jacobian approaching singularity: tiny tool moves demand huge joint rates, and the controller either reports following error or the arm snaps through. When the report is alarms at one position and clean on another path, suspect the singular region first. The fix is not raising speed limits but routing around it: move the part, add an intermediate point, or pass the region in joint interpolation.

Field notes on this page cover Staubli followerr (Following Error During Motion); written by the Henghuan repair team, updated 2026-10-01.

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Related Motion & Path alarms

3453 — Deviation Between Safe and Non-Safe Encoders (DSI) SEG-4 — Amplifier Fault — DF Contactor Open (7-Segment Code 4) NoDriveCfg — Internal Error DRIVE NoDriveConfiguration (All Axes) ArmPowerRefused — Arm Power Enable Request Refused Fieldbus33 — Internal Error on Fieldbus Board — Status 33 EStopChain — Emergency Stop Circuit Open — Power Cannot Enable
Same family: this code belongs to the Motion & path alarms family - the page collects all Motion & path-family codes we have handled, with the common inspection order and spares.
Other brands: we also keep field-fix libraries for Epson · Nachi · Omron and more — see the complete alarm code hub.

Frequently asked questions

QWhat does the Staubli followerr alarm mean?

The actual axis position drifted beyond the allowed window from the commanded position; the controller stops the robot to protect accuracy and mechanics. In our Staubli service archive this alarm on CS8 / CS9 (VAL3) systems shows up constantly, and the first on-site inspection almost always locates it. Staubli followerr sits in the motion & path family; on our work orders the highest-frequency trigger for this code is "Mechanical interference or collision".

QCan I clear a Staubli followerr alarm myself?

Whether Staubli followerr clears on its own depends on the outcome of "Remove any physical interference". Finish the flow with "If following error persists with no mechanical cause, have the drive tuning and encoder circuit checked" to confirm Staubli followerr - do not skip it. If that step is clean, the second most frequent cause on Staubli followerr is "Payload/inertia settings wrong for the mounted tool". When Staubli followerr keeps coming back it is not a one-off trigger - especially if If following error persists with no mechanical cause, have the drive tuning and encoder circuit checked is where you get stuck. Do not keep producing through Staubli followerr.

QFor motion alarms like Staubli followerr, can you triage remotely first?

The commonest causes we see on Staubli followerr are "Mechanical interference or collision, Payload/inertia settings wrong for the mounted tool, Degraded reducer or worn brake slipping", so we stock the van against those. For Staubli followerr specifically, we carry mechanical and configuration items: grease, limit switches, drag-chain segments, encoder cables and the parameter sheets for common reducers. For Staubli followerr, motion alarms can often be narrowed remotely first, so an on-site visit is not always immediate. Before we roll, tell us what Staubli followerr shows on the pendant error list and VAL3 log, with cabinet module indicators and what the machine was doing - phone or video triage is free.

This page on Staubli followerr was written by the Henghuan Robotics repair team from field service experience. Alarm descriptions are our own summary for troubleshooting reference and may vary by controller and software version — when in doubt, check your Staubli documentation or contact us. Henghuan is an independent service provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by Staubli.