It’s easy to forget just how incredible batteries are. We casually change out the batteries in our television remotes every few years, giving little thought to the fact that we just purchased power cells at the store while picking up milk and eggs. We grumble when the battery in our car dies, getting more upset at the inconvenience than marveling at the fact that the battery in our car allows us to drive across continents in a matter of days.
February 18th is National Battery Day, so take the opportunity to appreciate just how incredible batteries are, and see if your servo battery needs replacing.
Although the concept of batteries – and batteries in a crude form – have existed much longer, the first real battery was the voltaic pile. the voltaic pile was invented in 1800 by Alessandro Volta. These early batteries were constructed of stacked discs made of copper and zinc that were separated by brine-soaked cloth or cardboard, they struggled to produce enough voltage to generate a spark, and barely lasted an hour.
Batteries have come a long way since the voltaic pile, and there are now lithium-ion batteries strong enough to power homes.
Is it time to replace your Indramat battery?
Indramat control batteries will typically last for about 10 years, although it’s possible to get a little more or a little less lifetime out of them. If your battery falls below the minimum charge of 2.8 volts, your servo controller will generate an F248 fault code to warn you that your battery is on its last leg.
That being said, you don’t want to wait until your battery is almost dead to try and find a replacement. You have approximately 2 weeks to replace your battery once the F248 code is generated. It’s a good idea to have a spare replacement battery on hand and give yourself ample time to swap out the old battery with the new one.
If you need help with replacing the battery in your Indramat system, or you need help tracking down the right battery, give us a call!