What to look for in an electric forklift battery from industrial forklift battery manufacturers

What to look for in an electric forklift battery from industrial forklift battery manufacturers

If you depend on forklifts for the operation of your business, you are aware how crucial it is to equip your forklifts with the correct batteries.

In the case of electric forklifts, two kinds of batteries that are frequently used are lead-acid and lithium-ion. Making the right choice between them is a significant choice that could influence your company’s efficiency as well as overall profitability.

If it’s a whole fleet of forklifts or one forklift, it could be difficult to determine which kind of battery you should purchase. If you’ve used lead-acid batteries for a long time changing to lithium-ion will require a lot of research and analysis. Forklift batteries are an investment that will has a direct impact on the daily activities of your business.

For some, choosing the right lead-acid or lithium-ion battery is a matter of taking a look at the cost tags. However, there’s a lot more to look for in a battery before deciding which one is the most suitable for your needs.

Here are the most important elements to be considered in making this crucial business decision:

– Your requirements for your fleet

– How do you manage

– The battery options you have for your electric

– The life expectancy of the battery

– The amount of maintenance needed

– Time to run for each battery charge

– Efficiency in energy use

– Security concerns

– Long-term and upfront costs

When you look at the various aspects you will be able to determine the type of battery that will provide the greatest value to you forklift fleet.

Your Needs

Before you decide which battery for electric forklift is right for your business it is important to gather the necessary information to ensure you’re getting the most of the forklift and the battery.

For instance here are some of the requirements to think about:

What battery voltage do you require? Forklifts can use either either a 36 or 48 volt battery for their forklifts You’ll need to determine which voltage your forklifts will require.

What’s the dimension of your compartment for batteries? Find the area the battery is placed within – it’s not your old one.

What is the ideal capacity for amp hours? The right amount of power from your battery is vital and you’ll have examine your charging and discharge patterns to determine what capacity is appropriate for you.

What is your battery’s minimum weight? Incorporating a battery that is not weighted enough into the forklift could cause instability and safety concerns.

A forklift dealer or battery manufacturer can help find the right battery for these specifications, along with any other requirements.

Your Choices

After you’ve identified your primary needs, you can explore your options more carefully. Commercial forklifts are typically powered by one of two sources:

The most widely-used battery types, lead-acid are liquid filled, and have an easily removable top that produces electricity in the event of a chemical reaction with sulfuric acid and the lead plate. In 1859, the first time this type of battery has significantly advanced since then, but has some issues to forklift operators, which are discussed in the following paragraphs.

Lithium-ion batteries, on contrary, represent the most advanced technology of both. The first commercially available in 1991 Lithium-ion batteries are widely utilized in tablets, smartphones as well as electric cars. They’re also increasingly utilized for airport equipment to support ground operations, as well as warehouse equipment like forklifts.

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) is among the most sought-after chemistries in the handling of materials. LFP is much smaller and energy dense than lead acid and the cells are sealed and do not require water maintenance.

Service Life

You’re investing money. You’ll want to ensure you’re getting the most value out of your investment. This is why the lifespan of your battery is crucial.

The type of battery is used by a business will determine how frequently workers require replacement – an important aspect when evaluating costs of battery forklift ownership. The lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries have different life spans. The typical service life of both batteries is:

Lead-acid between 1,000 to 1,500 cycles
Lithium-ion: Between 2000 and 3,000 cycles

What is the significance of these life-cycles are important? The longer the life span an item will have, the more often it’s going to require replacement. This is an important aspect to consider when planning your budget for maintenance and replacement of batteries.

Maintenance Time

As previously mentioned the lifespan of batteries can be severely affected if it is not well maintained. However, maintaining time is costly.

While you research which kind of battery is ideal for your needs You’ll need to think about the amount of maintenance needed for the battery.

To prolong the life of your battery Certain measures must be implemented for lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries. However, lead-acid batteries need more attention. Here are some examples of the ways:

Cell balancing: Lead acid batteries require equalizing or cell balancing to combat acid stratification and sulfation. Sulfation may reduce the power of the battery, and could render the battery unusable for some instances. Acid stratification is the process of the acid getting more concentrated at the bottom of the battery which causes the battery to appear to be more charged than it really is. The cell needs to be balanced to maintain its balance, which is performed every 5-10 charging cycles. Lithium-ion batteries on the contrary, automatically do the balance of the cell when fully charged.

Fluid levels: Forklift batteries made of lead require a proper level of water in order to function at their peak. Around every 10 charges employees must “water the batteries” or fill them up. It can be an unpleasant and time-consuming procedure – even hazardous if executed in a safe manner. It is also time-consuming for large fleets. Lithium-ion batteries don’t require a watering system for batteries.

Temperature: When temperatures are higher the lead-acid batteries will lose cycles and also have a shorter life. This means extra care should be utilized when storage and use of these kinds of batteries for forklifts. Lithium-ion batteries, on contrary, do not be affected by the adverse effects on extreme temperatures.

Run Times

This is an important aspect to think about when you are looking for a battery for your electric forklift. How long the battery can last in day-to-day operation – or the run times – directly affects the effectiveness of your company.

In a typical day, lithium-ion battery packs generally have an average run time of 7 to 8 hours, whereas lead-acid batteries typically have a run time between 5 to 6 hours. But, there’s more to take into consideration when considering running times.

If the battery needs to be recharged, lead acid batteries need approximately eight hours before they fully recharge. After that, they need to be cooled down for an additional 8 hours. The process of charging should not be disrupted. So, within the course of a single day, a lead acid battery is only able to be used for a single shift.

Forklift-battery-capacity

This can be a major issue in multi-shift, 24 hour operations that rely upon three lead acid batteries for each forklift to ensure that production is kept flowing.

Lithium-ion batteries, on contrary, require around an hour or two to fully charge. They are “opportunity fully charged.” This means that you can recharge batteries – in the event that it’s hooked to forklifts – during shifts, as well as during breaks.

Energy Efficiency

If you are a business proprietor or managing your fleet you know the significance to be efficient with energy. In addition to the quantity of energy you consume for your business affect your budget, but it will also impact the carbon footprint of your company. And today, more and more companies are placing an emphasis on cleaner and more environmentally-friendly energy.

Lithium-ion batteries can hold and maintain greater power. Lead-acid batteries on the contrary, drop amps when they are charging, discharging or even if they’re left in a state of idle. When they start discharging forklifts, they can slow down due to the fact that the voltage in a lead-acid battery decreases at a faster rate.

Lithium-ion batteries provide an unchanging charge voltage through the entire discharge process – which can result in as high as 50% savings in energy when compared to a lead acid battery.

Security Concerns

When you’re trying to make an investment in your company security concerns for equipment are always top of mind.

Both lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries are powered with powerful chemical, which is why it is important to think about the safety features of each before deciding on which one can drive your forklift fleet.

Lead-acid batteries are made of sulfuric acid and lead, which are toxic. This signifies:

– They should be watered regularly to reduce the chance of spills.

– They generate a lot of heat when charging, so a temperature-controlled and properly-vented room is necessary.

– The risk is that there is possibility of explosive gas leaks once they are at the peak of their power.

Lithium-ion batteries are constructed of stable chemical mixtures of lithium-ion and are fully sealed which means there is no chance of spills. There is a risk, however, that the electrolyte can be highly flammable. Lithium-ion batteries can also produce the gas of corrosive if the chemical component within comes into proximity to water. But since they’re sealed, the possibility of acid spills or contamination is very low.

Pricing

Let’s be honest – costs matter. It’s tempting to just look at the initial cost of a battery when buying but it’s essential to take a look at the long-term cost too.

In the beginning, lead-acid batteries usually provide lower upfront cost. This is a significant factor, particularly when purchasing multiple batteries to power several forklifts.

But, smart managers understand that the cost of an item goes way beyond the initial price. Many factors influence the real price of a battery such as:

– Lifespan

– Time of daily run

– The number of batteries for each piece of equipment

– Costs of operating and maintenance (including labor)

– Efficiency gains

– Energy costs

If you just look at the cost of the purchase you’ll likely see some savings when you purchase an acid-lead forklift battery. When all of the above items are taken into consideration the total savings favor lithium-ion batteries.

In our article How To Select The Right Forklift Battery, you will find a breakdown of costs between these two batteries that shows the approximate amount you’d pay based on a five-year time frame.

Final Thoughts

The selection of the ideal electric forklift battery to suit your business can be a long-winded procedure. There are numerous things to take into consideration, particularly for companies that have to make the cost of a purchase this large.

As you can observe, lithium-ion batteries for forklifts offer advantages in nearly every area. While they cost more initially when maintained properly, they will be much less costly in the long run.

Also, they need less attention, come with less safety hazards and are also more efficient in energy use – which is a win-win situation for the environment as well as the effectiveness of your company.

For more about what to look for in an electric forklift battery from industrial forklift battery manufacturers,you can pay a visit to JB Battery China at https://www.forkliftbatterymanufacturer.com/about/ for more info.