As a result of this year’s ongoing pandemic, the surge of demand for essential products has significantly affected the material handling industry. In hopes to preserve a strong successful future, businesses are reassessing their operational expenses, processes, resources, and equipment in efforts to deliver more cost-effective decisions.
The average cost of a lithium-ion battery is between $3,000 and $20,000, depending on battery size. This price tag can be up to twice as much as the average purchase price of a lead-acid battery.
However, when you factor in the long-term costs, a lithium-ion battery is less expensive than a lead-acid battery.
Lithium-ion batteries offer significantly more benefits that make them a better long-term investment for most companies. Here’s why.
One of the most beneficial adjustments that we’ve seen customers making is the switch to our BSLBATT Lithium-Ion Batteries and here are a couple of reasons why.
● They are one of the highest energy densities of any battery technology today.
● They’re guaranteed to last 40% longer than traditional lead-acid batteries.
● They offer a higher degree of charging intelligence for minimal-to-no downtime.
● They’re virtually maintenance-free and environmentally friendly.
When deciding if Lithium-Ion Batteries are the right choice for you, it’s important to consider the following factors so that you can utilize their full benefits.
They are on their way to saving more than $2 million over the course of a year!
A newer, cleaner technology, lithium-ion batteries traditionally have a higher upfront purchase price than lead-acid batteries. But, as this major equipment manufacturer discovered, there are many factors that influence the true cost of a battery, and the purchase price is only one factor.
Here’s why...
● Labor costs alone significantly contributed to the savings experienced by this major equipment manufacturer. Directly impacting labor costs was average battery run times and the process by which they are charged.
● Lead-acid batteries generally last between 5 and 6 hours, whereas lithium-ion batteries have a run time of between 7 and 8 hours.
● Lead-acid batteries are filled with electrolyte (sulfuric acid and water). This type of battery generates electricity through a chemical reaction of lead plates and sulfuric acid. The process by which they are charged looks like this:
● The forklift operator must drive the forklift to a designated battery charging room.
● Trained personnel must remove the battery from the forklift using special handling equipment because of the weight.
● The battery is then placed on a rack where it will be charged.
● The battery must charge for approximately 8 hours. Before, during, and after this process, electrolyte levels should be monitored to ensure the levels do not spillover.
● The lead-acid battery must either stay there or be removed from the charging station using special equipment and transported to another designated room to “cool” for an additional 8 hours before returning to service.
Before placing the battery back in service, personnel must check the electrolyte level and refill it with distilled or deionized water, if necessary or the chemical process will degrade and the battery will suffer an early failure.
They discovered that their lead-acid batteries needed to be swapped out twice per shift. The replacement process took the forklift out of service for approximately 15 minutes for each battery exchange.
Lost Productivity Per Day
(.25 hours/change) x (2 changes/shift) x (3 shifts/day) x ($40/hour) x (120 trucks) = $7,200/day
This equipment manufacturer operated on average 6 days per week.
6 days/week x 52 weeks = 312 operational days/year
Lost Productivity Per Year
The company was spending nearly $1.5 million each year simply swapping out lead-acid batteries on its fleet of 120 class I & II trucks.
$7,200/day x 312 operational days = $2,246,400
Yes, you’re reading that correctly!
After switching the power source to BSLBATT’s lithium-ion batteries, they immediately saw a reduction in downtime for forklifts.
● Remain in the lift truck during charging
● Are plugged directly into a charger
● Do not require transport to a separate charging and cooldown room
● Do not require maintenance time for refilling the battery with distilled or deionized water
● Can be opportunity charged during times that preserve workflow and save labor costs, such as in between shifts and during staff breaks.
A safer work environment is one of the best investments a company can make. Lithium-ion battery technology offers several enhanced safety features:
They do not require water maintenance. Lithium-ion batteries are sealed shut, whereas lead-acid batteries are filled with an electrolyte solution. They require regular refilling with water or the chemical process will degrade and the battery could suffer an early failure. Watering a battery comes with risks. If a spill occurs, highly-toxic sulfuric acid can splash onto the body and cause serious injury.
There is minimal risk of overheating. Lithium-ion batteries have a battery management system that tracks cell temperatures to ensure they remain in safe operating ranges. If lead-acid batteries overcharge, the electrolyte solution can overheat, increasing pressure inside the battery. This can damage the battery, or worse, cause an explosion.
Less movement of the battery reduces the risk of injuries. Because lithium-ion batteries can stay inside the forklift for the charging process, workers avoid any risks associated with battery swapping. Batteries can weigh several thousand pounds, and lead-acid batteries require material handling equipment to lift and swap the batteries for charging.
You can read more about how using lithium-ion batteries can improve the overall safety of your operations in our article, THE TOP 8 WAYS A LITHIUM-ION BATTERY MAKES YOUR FORKLIFT SAFER.
BSLBATT Lithium is known for producing some of the most durable, trouble-free Li-ion batteries for applications, where durability, speed, and energy efficiency directly affect the bottom line.
BSLBATT Li-ion Batteries help decrease downtime by using breaks for opportunity charging whenever it is most convenient for the operations. Zero daily maintenance and energy efficiency add up the savings quickly.
