Your business depends on many things for its efficiency and profitability. One of these is your forklift operation. As a piece of industrial equipment, a forklift is a valuable tool, and as such it needs to be in good running order for all of the demands placed on it. Therefore, experiencing any unscheduled downtime for your lift truck can cost you money. The good news is that batteries powering forklifts today are made to a much higher quality than in years past.
The technological advances in current battery manufacturing processes have resulted in lift trucks batteries that are more reliable, longer-lasting and with consistent power. This has come from automation in the manufacturing process as well as improved maintenance practices for the batteries. This is great news for managers in charge of warehouses and battery rooms because they can gain greater performance, productivity, and safety through extended battery life. Generally speaking, an industrial battery should last for up to five years. If you are getting less than this from your battery, there is a way to ensure better reliability and that is through battery watering.
Although battery watering can help extend the battery life for your forklift, it is very common to over water a battery, resulting in its boiling over. You will see this when the sulfuric acid contained within spills out onto the battery, the surrounding area, and even possibly onto workers. This is not only a health hazard but is also very damaging to equipment. Over watering will also reduce the useful life of the battery, because the essential sulfates are basically washed out. Each time that happens there is a loss of about 3% of battery capacity, which can add up to battery life that is up to six months shorter. On the flip side, under watering the battery will call us sulfation to develop, drying out the cells. This also can lead to damage and replacement.
To maintain suitable hand watering of batteries requires organization and record-keeping. Systems that are available to organize your batteries, monitor battery usage and charge levels electronically. That way, mistakes are avoided and information on individual batteries is easily and readily available. The system can also help diagnose battery problems. There is a wide range of price and complexity in a battery organizing system, so it pays to shop around and choose the one that is most suitable for your businesses needs.
A forklift is a vital piece of industrial equipment, so ensuring its smooth operation will lead to uninterrupted and superior productivity, which directly benefits your bottom line. Knowing how to properly maintain your batteries will save you money in many ways. A battery organizing system can help you do just that.
About the Author
Bahrns Equipment specializes in industrial equipment for industrial needs, such as forklifts, packaging and material handling. Visit the company online at www.bahrns.com to learn more about what they offer, and see how they can become your industrial supplier of choice. Also see us for Forklift Service in the Central Illinois area.
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