FORKLIFTS & LIFTING EQUIPMENT – BATTERY MANAGEMENT
automatically cuts off when the correct
level is reached in each cell. Typically, this
is a weekly requirement; however, low
water consumption designs are available
which can extend this to several months.
It is important that the electrolyte is only
topped up to full when the battery is fully
charged, otherwise the battery acid will
overflow. This is because the electrolyte
level rises and falls according to the state
of charge. However, all the plates should
be submerged before commencing
charging in order to prevent overheating,”
he adds.
“Recording and monitoring specific
gravities and cell voltages when fully
charged (after termination of charge, and
when voltage stability has been
obtained), provides a good
indication of battery health.
Cleaning is also an important
maintenance activity for lead
acid batteries. Residue on and
around the battery will be highly
corrosive and must be removed
appropriately and without
contaminating the cells.”
BITA guidance note GN69, Lithiumion
Traction Battery Applications, and
guidance note GN68, Lead Acid Traction
Battery Applications, can be purchased
online (www.is.gd/dotuju).
MANUFACTURER TIPS
Forklift manufacturer Toyota Material
Handling has its website updated regularly
with company news, case studies, advice,
blog posts and product news. It too
provides tips for effective battery care,
based on advice from its technical team
and product managers (www.is.gd/irahok).
It explains that it is important to
stick to the manufacturer’s guidelines,
especially when a battery is new, because
a new battery must be used and
re-charged a certain number of
times before being topped up.
“This differs with batteries
from different suppliers,
so make sure you read
the information that
comes with your shiny
new battery very
carefully,” it explains.
To get the most effective performance
out of a battery, operators should also
ensure that they use most of its power
before recharging. Like Goss, the company
says that a generic rule of thumb is that
the battery should be at 20% or less
charge to avoid damage.
And, when it comes to recharging,
operators should allow enough time for
the battery to charge fully, and shouldn’t
use the truck until it has finished. “Once
your battery is fully charged, you should
allow it to finish gassing and fully cool
down before using it again,” Toyota
Material Handling says.
MANAGEMENT PRODUCTS
There are many products available for
FLTs to help operators get the most out of
their batteries. Toyota Material Handling,
for example, offers ‘I_Site’, a truck
management system that connects to
fleets, collects data and gives an overview
of what’s happening, as well as what can
be done to optimise operations (www.
is.gd/wagowe). Features include battery
monitoring; truck/driver utilisation; a web
portal/mobile app; remote driver access,
driver admin and licences control; and
smart access (card or fob).
Stored energy solutions provider
EnerSys, meanwhile, has introduced
the Truck iQ smart battery dashboard
(pictured, above right), which aims to give
real-time visibility of a truck’s battery
status, enabling drivers to optimise
their battery’s utilisation and power
management, while avoiding the risk
of damage or productivity loss due to
incorrect usage.
Drivers can easily see and understand
their battery’s condition and associated
parameters from their seat, in real time.
Battery data is measured by wireless
sensors located on the truck battery, and
collected by a compact, harness-mounted
Wi-iQ3 battery monitoring device
(pictured, left). The battery monitoring
device relays this information to the Truck
iQ smart battery dashboard via Bluetooth.
Ecobat Battery Technologies
offers a range of services,
including battery testing
20 www.operationsengineer.org.uk June 2019
/dotuju)
/irahok)
/www.operationsengineer.org.uk