Optimum maintenance of electric forklift batteries

  Battery electric forklifts offer many advantages compared to forklifts equipped with combustion engines. While it is true that the initial cost of the machine is higher, the return on investment is more advantageous, and at this point it is very important to know the type of traction battery installed on the forklift truck and the maintenance of the battery throughout its service life.  

 Improve profitability with optimal maintenance on forklift truck batteries

The traction batteries used in electric forklifts are designed to withstand continuous discharges during long working days, but for the battery to work well for years it is important to maintain the battery correctly and to know the details of charging and discharging. It is advisable that the operator knows some details of the battery, because a bad use of the traction batteries can shorten its useful life by 50%. Hundreds of Voltem batteries pass through our installations every year and we can see that the same model of battery, used in similar machines for the same number of hours, have different years of useful life and this is due to the maintenance carried out on the battery during its useful life. In normal conditions of use a traction battery can last in good conditions more than 6000 hours. In many cases if the maintenance is correct and the loads are correct and uninterrupted the useful life of the batteries is extended up to 8,000-10,000 hours which translates to 10-12 years or more, and there are also occasions where a nefarious maintenance of the battery makes the useful life of the same one of 2000-3000 hours 2-4 years. Even so, the profitability of electric trucks with traction batteries is far above that of diesel or gas thermal trucks, because we cancel the cost of fuel, and battery replacement has a return on investment.

Maintenance for Traction Batteries of electric forklift trucks

• Charge your forklifts batteries following the manufacturer’s recommendations. For most manufacturers daily charging is recommended.
• Only recharge the battery if it has been discharged 30% or more; and, do not use the truck if the battery has been discharged 80% or more.
• Batteries should not be left discharged for long periods of time as this will damage the plates and shorten their useful life, once discharged , charge the traction battery as soon as possible.
• Allow time for the battery to cool down after charging. Using hot batteries can cause the lead plates to deform and short-circuit the battery cells.
• Do not deposit metallic objects on the battery, and keep away any type of spark or flame, this can cause an explosion due to the accumulated hydrogen.

Check Forklift Battery Water Level

• Always use distilled water or water known to be free of normally high amounts of impurities.
• The electrolyte level must always be between the maximum and minimum level (indicated by the plug basket).
• Always add water after the loading is finished, never before, because water grows during the gassing phase and may spill out.
• Keep the electrolyte level above the lead plates of the battery. 
• Clean the overflows to prevent corrosion on the top and bottom of the battery.

 Maintenance chart for batteries of electric forklifts, scrubber-dryer batteries or lifting platforms

Meet Voltem traction batteries, a traction battery designed for long working days and compatible with the main brands of forklifts such as Toyota, Linde, Nissan, Still, etc.

Articulos Blog:

Tips for for forklift battery maintenance How to extend the service life of an electric forklift truck? Maintenance of traction batteries Types of batteries for forklift trucks