It is highly beneficial to convert your forklift fleet to lithium-ion technology. A longer service life, reduced maintenance costs, and increased uptime are some of these benefits. Because you've invested money in electric forklifts, you want to make sure you're getting all these benefits. That's why you need to know what type of battery charger your equipment requires.
● Type of battery
● Voltage of the battery
● Time required for charging
● Specifications for charging
● Utilization of equipment
● Infrastructure related to power
● Charging space for equipment
In order to determine what factors customers should consider before choosing a forklift charging system, we spoke with battery charger experts from Delta-Q Technologies, SPE Elettronica Industriale Charger, and Fronius International GmbH.
Rod Dayrit, Director of Business Development at Delta-Q Technologies, explains that customers should evaluate multiple factors, including charging time. This determines how much charge your charger should deliver to the battery."
Identifying your battery bank, its capacity, and charge rate can help you determine how long it will take to charge it. To maximize productivity, you can strategize your charging time once you know how long it will take to charge the battery.
Understanding charging times, as well as different charging systems and their capabilities, is essential. There are different charging requirements for different batteries. Lithium-ion batteries cannot be charged with the same charger as lead-acid batteries. As a result, each battery charger is designed to maximize battery life by taking into account the charge rate and battery capacity.
Traditional battery charging involves removing the battery at the end of the shift and placing it on the charger. It usually takes 8 to 10 hours to complete this process. Lead-acid batteries also require a cool-down period (an additional 8 hours).
Additionally, lead-acid batteries require a dedicated charging room to prevent spills, leaks, or toxic gas emissions. If you operate 24/7, you will need three lead-acid batteries per forklift because of the cool-down period.
According to Dustin Love, Executive Business Development Manager at Flight Systems Industrial Products (FSIP), conventional charging systems are ideal for single-shift applications where the daily energy requirements are less than the battery's capacity. The battery can be charged overnight in the vehicle this way."
It is possible to charge lithium-ion batteries conventionally if this is appropriate for your operation, but they can benefit from more efficient charging systems.
Operations will reduce overall electricity consumption and the number of lead-acid batteries onsite at a given facility by eliminating the need to overcharge and equalize multiple batteries per day. Due to the reduced carbon footprint of electricity compared to LPG, switching from LPG to electric trucks will have an even greater impact. According to Davide Martello, National Sales Manager at Fronius International GmbH. Does multi-shift operation avoid battery replacement? Yes, if you have access to and fast charging.
Multi-shift operations can run a forklift all day without replacing batteries. Ultimately, this reduces total operating costs, improves labor productivity, reduces capital investment, increases floor space availability, and reduces downtime due to battery replacements.
● For battery replacement and single-shift operation, conventional charging returns 16-18 amps per 100 amp hours, with a charge rate ranging from 16%-20%. Charging conventionally takes 8 hours, followed by 8 hours of cooling.
● In single-shift and low-demand 2-hour operations, opportunity charging returns 30 amps per 100 amp hours, with a charging rate of up to 30%. It may not be enough energy for high-demand operations to avoid the need to replace batteries with opportunity charging.
● Fast - For medium to high-demand two- and three-shift operations. When the fast charge is on during shift operation, it returns 40-50 amps for every 100 amp hours, with a charge rate of up to 50%. Forklift batteries can be charged in a short time during breaks, providing enough energy for a full day of heavy forklift operation.
BSLBATT has provided this dedicated smart forklift lithium battery charger to the market for nearly 10 years, with a significantly improved standard battery output current. It is designed to fast-charge forklift lithium batteries during forklift shifts. Electric forklifts that operate for longer than the standard 18-hour shift can greatly benefit from this innovation. At the same time, experienced BSLBATT. A wide range of configuration options for charging stations. We offer a variety of charging stations, including floor-standing, wall-mounted, and cable management options. If you're looking for a space-saving solution or efficient organization, we have the ideal configuration for you. Get in touch with our team today to learn more and optimize your charging infrastructure.
Forklift utilization is affected by all charging factors. You should ask yourself what your expectations are for charging times. In the end, the right charger depends on your unique operational requirements. Have you planned downtime or do you need continuous operation?
