When I first started out as a robot battery supplier back in 2018, I got a call at 2 a.m. from a small automation shop that worked with warehouse robots. Their lead technician had tried to swap a battery on a collaborative robot without following the right steps, and the unit had locked up mid-operation—worse, when he’d pulled the old battery out too fast, it sparked. He said he’d seen a YouTube tutorial a guy had posted in 10 minutes, and figured it couldn’t be that hard. That story stuck with me, because it’s the exact reason I spend so much time not just selling quality lithium-ion robot batteries, but also making sure our customers know how to handle them safely, especially when it’s time for a replacement. Robot Battery
Today, I want to break down exactly how to remove a robot battery safely—no shortcuts, no risky guesswork, just the steps we share with every client that buys a battery from us. These steps aren’t just pulled out of thin air; they’re aligned with OSHA guidelines, ISO safety standards for industrial robot systems, and the protocols our own engineering team developed after testing over 12,000 battery swaps across different robot models (from small desktop cobots to heavy-duty logistics robots). Whether you’re a warehouse manager, a maintenance tech at a small manufacturing shop, or even a hobbyist working with a custom-built robot, this guide is for you.
First, let’s talk about why removing a robot battery the wrong way is such a big deal. Most industrial and collaborative robot batteries are lithium-ion, which is volatile if mishandled—think punctures from prying too hard, short circuits from leaving power connected, or thermal runaway from not letting the battery cool down. I’ve seen a client’s entire battery storage area go up in smoke because a tech swapped a battery when it was still 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and the thermal management system was disabled mid-process. That $20,000 battery became a $50,000 incident, not to mention two days of downtime that cost them $18,000 in lost production. Safety isn’t just a box to check—it’s what keeps teams safe, equipment intact, and operations running.
Before you even touch the battery, there are three pre-checks you have to do that I never skip, no matter how busy I am on a service call. The first is to isolate the robot completely. That means not just hitting the “stop” button on the teach pendant—most newer robots have a main power disconnect either on the control cabinet or right on the robot base, and you have to flip that to “off,” then unplug the robot from the wall. I always tell techs to double-check with a multimeter that there’s no voltage running through the battery terminals before moving on. It takes 30 seconds, and it eliminates 90% of electrical risks.
The second pre-check is verifying the battery’s state, and this is where a lot of people make a mistake. You need to confirm the battery’s State of Charge (SoC) using the robot’s diagnostic screen or a third-party battery management system (BMS) reader. For our batteries, we build a BMS that shows SoC, temperature, and internal resistance right on the robot’s HMI (Human-Machine Interface). You never want to remove a battery when it’s above 20% SoC—full lithium-ion cells have a lot of stored energy, and if you short them during removal, that energy can spark or cause a fire. Also, you have to wait for the battery to cool down to between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’ve just run the robot for a long shift, the battery can get to 120 degrees or more, and working with a hot battery raises the risk of thermal damage to both the battery and the robot’s terminals. If the battery’s too hot, let it sit for 45 minutes to an hour before proceeding.
The third pre-check is gathering the right tools. I’ve seen a tech use a flathead screwdriver to pry a battery out of a robot, and he nicked a cell casing—thankfully, he caught it before it punctured, but that was a close call. The tools you need are usually non-sparking: a Phillips head screwdriver (sized to fit the robot’s battery compartment screws—never use one that’s too small or too big, because it can strip the screw head), a pair of insulated gloves rated for at least 1000V (lithium-ion batteries don’t always look like they hold a lot of voltage, but many robot batteries are 48V, which is enough to cause a bad shock if you touch a live terminal), and a plastic pry bar or a rubber mallet if the battery is stuck. Never use metal tools to pry or adjust the battery compartment—even a tiny metal shard can cause a short circuit if it falls across the terminals.
Now, let’s get to the actual removal process, step by step. First, locate the battery compartment. On most small cobots like UR or Fanuc LR Mate, it’s on the back of the robot arm or on the base. For larger logistics robots like those used in Amazon warehouses, the battery is usually a slide-out unit in the chassis, marked with a clear “battery access” label. Once you find it, make sure the main power is still off and the robot is unplugged—no exceptions.
Next, remove the outer panel of the battery compartment. This is where the right screwdriver comes in. Line up the screwdriver exactly with the screw head, turn counterclockwise slowly. If the screw is stuck, don’t force it—spray a tiny bit of penetrating oil and wait 2 minutes before trying again. For some newer robots, the panel is secured with quick-release clips instead of screws; in that case, press the release tab firmly (you might need to use your insulated gloved hand) and lift the panel straight up, don’t twist it, because that can break the clips.
Once the outer panel is off, you’ll see the battery itself, connected to the robot by two main things: the power cable (thick, usually red and black, with a large connector) and sometimes a communication cable (small, thin, for transferring data between the battery and the robot’s BMS). This is the most critical step in the whole process: disconnecting these cables correctly. First, disconnect the communication cable—this cuts off the link between the battery’s BMS and the robot, so you don’t accidentally trigger a power surge. To disconnect it, press the small release tab on the connector gently (don’t pull the cable, that can damage the pins inside) and pull straight away from the battery.
Then, disconnect the power cable. This is where insulated gloves are non-negotiable. The power connector has a large, plastic locking tab; press that firmly, and pull the connector straight, don’t wiggle it back and forth. Wiggling can bend the pins or create a spark between the terminals. If the connector is stuck, don’t use pliers—use your plastic pry bar to gently lift the locking tab, and rock the connector side to side only a tiny bit to loosen it. Once both cables are disconnected, double-check that no power wires are exposed or hanging loose in the compartment—even a small exposed wire can touch the robot’s metal frame and cause a short.
Now, remove the battery from the compartment. Most robot batteries are slide-in or secured with two small mounting screws, not the big ones on the outer panel. If it’s slide-in, there will be a small release lever on the side of the battery; flip that lever, and the battery will slide out about 6 inches. If it’s secured with screws, use your Phillips screwdriver to remove them, then gently pull the battery out by the handle (almost all our batteries have a built-in plastic handle for easy gripping). When you pull the battery out, support the bottom of the battery with your other hand—they’re heavy, and if you drop a 20-pound lithium-ion battery on a concrete floor, you can puncture the casing easily.
Once the old battery is out, you have two important last steps before you put it away. First, inspect the compartment for any damage—look for bent terminals, exposed wiring, or metal shavings. If you find any, don’t put the new battery in until you fix that damage; a bent terminal will cause a bad connection and could short the new battery. Second, place the old battery in a fire-resistant battery bag or a dedicated battery storage container right away. Never leave a used battery lying around loose—even a discharged battery can still hold enough energy to spark if it touches metal or other batteries. Our team always keeps these fire-resistant bags in every service van, because you never know when you need them.
I know a lot of people ask me why we don’t just make batteries that are impossible to remove wrong. The truth is, robot manufacturers design for quick swaps, and trying to make removal foolproof would add a lot of bulk and cost to the battery, which most customers aren’t willing to pay for. That’s why proper training is so important—every tech should go through a hands-on training session that uses our protocols, so they don’t have to guess. For our clients, we offer free in-person or virtual training when they order 5 or more batteries, because I’d rather spend an hour teaching the right steps than get a call about a broken battery or an incident.
Let’s also talk about common mistakes I see all the time, because they’re easy to make when you’re in a hurry. The first is skipping the multimeter check. I had a client last year who thought the robot was off because the teach pendant said “stopped,” but the control cabinet had a faulty switch, and there was still 24V running to the battery terminals. He grabbed the old battery and shorted the terminals with a wrench in his pocket—luckily, he was wearing insulated gloves, but the wrench melted a little bit, and that could have been way worse. Another mistake is disconnecting the power cable first, before the communication cable. If you disconnect power first, the BMS doesn’t shut off, and you can get a surge that damages both the battery and the robot’s control board. The third mistake is prying a stuck battery too hard. I’ve seen three batteries this year with cracked casings because a tech used a metal bar to force it out, and that’s a safety hazard waiting to happen.
If you follow these steps, swapping a robot battery is a 10 to 15 minute process, and it’s completely safe. But if you ever encounter a stuck connector, a battery that’s too hot, or any other issue during removal, stop and call a professional. Don’t try to force it—we have a team of certified technicians that can come out and help, no matter where your operation is.
At the end of the day, my job as a robot battery supplier isn’t just to send a battery to a customer. It’s to make sure that battery works safely, lasts as long as possible, and that the team handling it knows exactly what to do. The 2 a.m. call I got in 2018 still reminds me that every step of this process matters. The little thing like disconnecting the communication cable first, or waiting for the battery to cool down, or using insulated gloves—those are the things that prevent accidents, keep people safe, and keep operations running smoothly.
If you have questions about our batteries, or if you’re looking to purchase replacement batteries for your robot fleet, we’d love to help. Whether you need a single battery for a small cobot or a bulk order for a whole warehouse of logistics robots, our team can work with you to find the right fit, answer all your safety questions, and connect you with training resources to make sure your team is set up for success. Don’t hesitate to reach out to start the conversation.
Electric Tricycle Battery References
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 2022. Electrical Safety in the Workplace. U.S. Department of Labor.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 2019. ISO 10218-1: Industrial Robots and Robot Safety – Part 1: General Requirements for Industrial Robots.
Battery University. 2021. Lithium-Ion Battery Safety and Handling. Cadex Electronics Inc.
Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV) Industry Association. 2020. Best Practices for AGV Battery Maintenance and Replacement.
Robotics Industries Association (RIA). 2021. Collaborative Robot Safety Standards and Maintenance Guidelines.
Zhuhai Greaton Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.
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