MARCH 2019 FORKLIFTS
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in temperatures ranging from
5°C and 40°C. Lithium-ion, on
the other hand, can be operated
at a cell temperature between
-10°C and 55°C. Outside of this
temperature range the battery,
and therefore the forklift truck,
shuts down automatically.
There is also an argument
for lithium-ion batteries
being safer to use, as well
as technology playing an
important role in supporting
organisations’ environmental
targets. Jungheinrich uses the
safest cell chemistry available,
with the formula of lithium iron
phosphate. These batteries are
non-toxic and do not release
gas. The battery management
system uses highly refined
functions to monitor each cell
and will gently power down in
the event of danger.
On top of this, Jungheinrich
offers a five-year guarantee on
lithium-ion batteries, providing
a long-term performance
promise, regardless of
operating hours. Says
Richmond: “At Jungheinrich,
we are convinced that lithium-
Ion technology will soon
become the standard energy
storage system in intralogistics.
Indeed, the high-performance
standards of lithium-ion
batteries mean it is now
possible to electrify application
fields previously dominated by
IC-powered engines.”
Jungheinrich innovation
With the ERC 216zi,
Jungheinrich presents an
all-new electric stacker truck.
One year after the company
launched the first forklift truck
with a fully integrated lithiumion
battery, the ETV 216i reach
truck, Jungheinrich
is now extending
this concept to
the ERC 216zi.
Thanks to the fixed
lithium-ion battery,
the forklift truck
is particularly
compact and agile.
It is actually
the shortest
truck in its
class. With an
L2 dimension
of 1245 mm, the ERC 216zi is at least 170 mm
shorter than comparable vehicles.
Jungheinrich board member for marketing
and sales Christian Erlach explains: “Sometimes
you have to take a completely different approach,
and that is exactly what we have done with the
ERC 216zi. The built-in lithium-ion battery
creates a revolutionary vehicle design. The
ERC 216zi is ultra-compact and extremely agile.
It is the perfect truck in narrow warehouse
environments where our customers still want to
reach impressive heights.”
The ERC also sets new standards in safety.
In accordance with DIN ISO 6055, the overhead
guard protects against falling objects. The fixed
platform with its solid side panels also offers the
operator complete all-round protection from
three sides. The ‘operationCONTROL’ assistance
system prevents the residual capacity of the truck
from being exceeded. Visual and audible warning
signals indicate to the operator if the permissible
residual capacity has been exceeded.
Operator experience
Richmond believes that lithium-ion powered
trucks can revolutionise a working environment,
and not just due to the noise reduction it offers:
“This technology can provide a platform for
significant cultural changes within a warehouse
– changes that can further reduce the need for
operatives to understand, even consider, the
battery, and ease the introduction of new staff
into the operation.
“Just consider a warehouse environment
where automated alerts and intelligence from
telemetry provide instant insight into battery
performance and charge level. This will ensure
potential charge issues are addressed before
a problem occurs and support more efficient
proactive maintenance, to further reduce
interruption and potentially reduce the need
for back-up equipment. Or picture an
environment of wireless charging hubs, where
a battery is automatically recharged when the
operator parks up. With this approach,
not only is the charging responsibility
completely removed from the
operatives, but charging areas can
be relocated, perhaps close to break
rooms or canteens – potentially
freeing up warehouse space and
avoiding the problems of poorly
parked trucks on charge.”
Watching the trucks first hand
at Jungheinrich’s Innovations and
Highlights event was truly a great
experience. People who had never
driven a forklift before drove
one of Jungheinrich’s lithiumion
trucks expertly, proving
that simpler batteries provide
a better starting point for new
trainees. Perhaps with great
power, there is not such a great
responsibility, after all...
www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
Lithium-ion
batteries can
be operated
between -10°C
and 55°C
/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk