Lift Truck Tips: Identifying the true cost of batteries

It’s almost certainly true that any lift truck fleet has plenty of room for improvement, but the process of locating all the potential savings and productivity increases does not require a massive overhaul of equipment, add-ons and data analysis. Small, incremental changes can produce rapid returns, particularly when it comes to battery management, according to Keith Allmandinger, senior marketing manager for Komatsu Forklift.

“With electric trucks and batteries you have many opportunities to develop bad habits,” says Allmandinger, who says proper watering, proper charging and equalizing charges are all very important to ensuring a lift truck is productive and running as required. “It is easy to start taking shortcuts, but every time you do, you decrease the effectiveness of both the battery and the forklift.”

Poor battery management will shorten the life of the battery and decrease the value of the lift truck. Best practices include daily inspections, charging as required by the application’s needs, and weekly equalizing charges. When considering data capture equipment, the full suite of fleet telematics might be a bit overwhelming. Allmandinger suggests beginning with a simple datalogger, which will provide very precise information on the application’s fuel needs, charging requirements and overall health of the battery.

“A customer needs to consider their fuel consumption needs, whether that comes from a battery or an LPG tank,” he says. “Information is power, so you can then use this information to determine what battery and charging system would work best in a specific application.”

A common bad habit is for operators to charge batteries too early or too often, which prevents the battery from discharging to its lock-out stage. “The operator is key to the entire battery-management process,” Allmandinger says. “An operator needs to get comfortable with the process and application so that they are utilizing the battery fuel as efficiently as possible.”

Using a high frequency, smart-type charger will also prolong the life of the battery by delivering just the right amount of amps and voltage. Today’s smart-type chargers can even communicate and keep the charging history of each specific battery, he says, providing a view of the overall battery inventory. Customers can take advantage of a well-managed battery system to create a ‘fuel pool’ that will help to eliminate excess batteries and save on operational costs.

It is even possible for the electric lift truck customer to purchase fuel as they use it. “The customer doesn’t need to buy the battery,” adds Allmandinger. “The supplier can provide the battery with a datalogger and then charge the customer, in many cases, less than a penny per amp for their fuel.”

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