FORKLIFT
Lithium-ion outpacing battery power options The advent of Lithium-ion driven forklifts is revolutionising the materials handling industry. According to Masslift Africa, the companies who are willing to step into this new era will see numerous benefits around efficiency, runtime, and maintenance in comparison to the lead-acid battery predecessors. According to Hugh Golden, National Sales Manager, demand for Lithium-ion powered forklifts is on the rise. This is partly due to the numerous benefits associated with lithium-ion batteries and in part due to changes in legislation.
consider when looking at the costs of Lithium-ion versus lead-acid battery-powered forklifts. “Yes, Lithium-ion batteries are around 1.5 to 2 times the prices of lead-acid but you are getting a longer lifespan and saving on maintenance costs.”
availability and shifts. This also reduces the need for a second battery for night shifts if the battery is charged whenever the driver takes a break – for example during tea times, lunchtimes, shift changes, toilet breaks etc.”
“The demand in South Africa is growing annually. One reason is that legislation will inevitably move towards minimising the use of diesel forklifts around food products. We are also seeing several clients moving away from diesel or LPG (gas) forklifts due to the emissions and costs associated with LPG.”
Lead-acid batteries need to be maintained daily by topping up each cell with deionised water and cleaning the battery of spilt acid with a wet cloth to prevent tracking. Failure to top up the battery results in oxidation which damages the plates and decreases the battery lifespan. Additionally, numerous health safety risks can arise when the battery is not cleaned. The battery terminals can start to corrode which can cause the battery to catch fire. Acid also corrodes the tank and wiring which are costly to repair.
The operational benefits of not requiring a second battery for your night shifts include the fact that there is then no need for a battery bay which is costly to install and requires space, ventilation and epoxy painted floors.
Golden says that he anticipates a major increase in the demand for electric forklifts over the next 5 years – and that Lithium-ion will likely be the preferred choice over the more traditional leadacid batteries as it outperforms in several areas. When compared to lead-acid batteries, Lithiumion power offers superior energy efficiency, zero maintenance and longer life cycles for greater uptime and productivity. “Lithium-ion batteries have a longer lifespan lasting 6 to 8 years or 12,000 to 20,000 hours, and this is a battery that is completely maintenance-free throughout its life,” Golden explains. According to Golden, this is the main factor that clients need to 28 Lifting Africa - May/Jun 2020
By contrast, Lithium-ion batteries require zero maintenance throughout their lifespan. Lithium-ion also wins when it comes to charging and uptime. Lead-acid batteries must be charged for eight hours at a time and don’t allow for opportunity charging. “Lithium-ion allows for batteries to be charged anytime, for any period – even just for a couple of minutes,” Golden explains. “This allows much greater flexibility in your operations as you can even structure charging around driver
The charging cycle and focus on maintenance both affect the lifespan of batteries in the long term. As lead-acid batteries age, they don’t last as long between charges. To get as much productive time behind the wheel of the forklift as possible, most drivers will then push the battery as long as they can and will discharge it past the recommended ‘80% depth of discharge’. When this happens, a voltage spike can occur, damaging the forklift’s electronics which is expensive to repair. There are no voltage spikes with Lithium-ion batteries which goes a long way towards protecting and preserving the forklift’s electronics. Does this charging system translate to power and efficiency? “Yes,” says
