Zebra RW 420 Lithium Ion Battery AK17463-005 Leaflet

 

 

 

 

June 13, 2006 

 
Lithium ion (Li-Ion) technology is the state-of-the-art in DC energy storage and has been widely adopted to meet 
user demand for more power and longer operating times.  Li-Ion technology, however, comes with a tradeoff.  The 
design and manufacture of Li-Ion batteries has not yet reached a level that guarantees performance under all 
circumstances or that they will never overheat or out-gas.  Zebra actively monitors the Li-Ion battery technology 
industry and we have become aware of many published concerns about Li-Ion batteries including batteries for laptop 
computers, cell phones, digital cameras, wireless speakerphones and numerous other products.  Therefore, it is 
important to understand and follow proper and safe practices for (i) use, storage, age management and disposal, (ii) 
handling, and (iii) charging of Li-Ion batteries. Failure to follow safe practices may result in bodily injury and/or 
property damage.   
 
No other battery technology available at this time allows us to meet market and competitive requirements for 
operating times and label capacity for thermal printers. While our battery manufacturers have made significant 
improvements from a design and manufacturing process perspective, there are some practices that users of these 
batteries should follow to further reduce any residual risk of overheating and/or out-gassing. We strongly 
recommend that you implement the following battery management practices.  

1.  Only use genuine Zebra® battery packs in Zebra printers.   

2.  Our experience indicates that the incidence of failure may increase with battery service life due to the 

stresses of daily charging and discharging.  We strongly recommend that Li-Ion batteries be replaced 
after one year’s daily service, or 250 charge-discharge cycles, whichever occurs first. 

3.  Li-Ion batteries have a shelf life in the unused state so you should charge unused battery packs at least 

once every six months.  Any battery pack remaining unused and uncharged for more than 12 months 
should be replaced. 

4.  In the unused state, a Li-Ion battery pack may become unstable if the voltage drops below 4.6 volts.  

The printer will shut down before a battery reaches this voltage, but a battery may further self 
discharge below 4.6 volts if it is left in the discharged state for more than a few weeks.  We 
recommend periodic use of a voltmeter to check such batteries before recharging.  If the voltage of any 
battery pack drops below 4.6 volts, the battery pack should be replaced. 

5.  Keep battery packs and chargers away from combustible materials. 

6.  Do not store battery packs in temperatures exceeding 60ºC/140ºF.  

7.  Do not store the battery packs in direct sunlight. 

8.  Keep battery packs away from children. 

9.  Promptly and properly dispose of used battery packs according to local regulations for the disposal of 

batteries. 

•  Insulate the terminals with tape before disposal. 

•  Zebra voluntarily participates in the RBRC program. Call 1-800-8-BATTERY in North 

America, for information on recycling.  Outside of North America, please follow local battery 
recycling guidelines.