FANUC robot storage (unplugged)

    Has anybody ever tested/tried storing a FANUC unplugged for relatively long periods of time?

    We have a little machine with an LR-Mate in it (Mate iB cabinet) that only gets used a few times per year.

    We are just about to finish our service order run with that machine, and it's about to go to storage for ~3-4 months until the next order. I just had to replace all the batteries in the robot base and CPU, was wondering if people know approximately how long the batteries will save everything for, or if I should plan to run an extension cord to the machine while it's in storage to keep the robot powered up and not drain the batteries.

    Short bit of background - I had to re-master this robot and touch-up like 12 positions and re-teach several iRVision programs to get this production run going. It took ~2 days because it was originally mastered weird because the enclosure it's in won't let the robot be easily Zero Mastered. And there is no pre-made touchoff point for fixture position mastering. I would REALLY like to not have to do that again the next time we plug it in to run production. I am planning to take a good image of the robot parked at 90, 0, 0, 0, 90, 0 when we shut it down to go to storage though.

    1.) change the batteries before storing.
    2.) save the master position (it doesn't have to be at 0,0,0,0,0,0...you can create any custom position that you save via ,,SET QUICK MASTER REF,, - don't forget to make marks for future calibration).
    3.) after turning on, if the batteries run out, move the robot to new marks using ,,QUICK MASTER,, and that's it.

    Sometimes the batteries run out even after a month, sometimes they last more than a year... it depends on the battery, we use Energizer Industrial and we haven't had a problem yet, all batteries need to be purchased from the supplier so that they don't end up in a warehouse somewhere for 2 years...

    regarding the question with the extension cable...that wouldn't help you, the robot would have to be turned on.

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