TL;DR
Short run time or incomplete charge is almost always a dirty dock contact or a battery cell that has lost capacity. Clean the charging contacts first; if health flags persist, escalate to the OEM for battery replacement.
What you might see
- robot run time significantly shorter than the nominal rated hours
- robot not reaching full charge state after a normal docking session
- fleet console showing battery health flag on one or more robots
- charging dock connection indicator not confirming a good contact
Likely causes
Dirty or corroded charging dock contacts preventing full current transfer during docking
Battery cell capacity loss from aging or thermal abuse requiring battery replacement
Robot not docking squarely on the charger, resulting in intermittent contact
Charging infrastructure (dock power supply) at reduced voltage or current limiting the charge rate
Required tools
- Fleet management console access
- Lint-free dry cloth for contact cleaning
- Charging dock power supply indicator or management access
Safety first
- Lithium battery systems can off-gas and overheat if damaged. If a robot battery shows signs of swelling, unusual heat, or venting odor, move the robot to an isolated area away from flammable materials and contact the OEM.
- Do not use wet or conductive cleaners on charging contacts.
Procedure
- 1
Check the fleet console for battery state-of-health data for the affected robot. Compare to other robots in the fleet to confirm the issue is robot-specific.[1]
- 2
Inspect the charging dock contacts on the robot undercarriage and the dock pad. Clean both contact surfaces with a dry lint-free cloth.
Warning: Do not clean charging contacts with a wet cloth or conductive cleaner. The contacts carry DC voltage when the dock is powered. - 3
Verify that the robot docks squarely and the dock status LED on the fleet console transitions from undocked to charging within 30 seconds of docking.
- 4
Check the charging station's power supply output voltage and current from the station indicator lights or management software. Voltage below spec limits charge rate.
- 5
Run a supervised charge cycle from the fleet console and monitor the state-of-charge curve. A healthy battery charges to above 95% within the rated charge window.
- 6
If battery health flags persist after dock cleaning and dock verification, file a service ticket with the OEM. Battery replacement on AMRs typically requires OEM tooling or approval.
Sources
Locus Robotics Locus Origin AGV / AMR (Mobile Robots) general technical documentation, Locus Robotics
AMR battery management, charging system maintenance, general material handling references (general)
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