In this modern time of rapidly advancing technology, it is sometimes surprising to see how similar it is to 1998 when I started as a narrow aisle field technician. One of those similarities to the late 90’s is the confusion and difficulty with lead acid batteries. Fortunately, as easily as the issues come, they can also be resolved.
In this article, 3 basic keys for battery life will be broken down. The 3 keys are effective, and necessary for a single and/or a fleet of lift trucks powered by lead acid batteries. Industrial batteries typically cost thousands to replace, but more importantly, they are the life of the forklift. They power the forklift but if they are not making full capacity for any reason, or have a problem, they will wreak havoc on the lift truck, and that in many cases exceeds the cost of the battery itself.
Watering
The first key is the single most important item to operating an electric forklift. The water in the battery disperses the acid to the plates to be absorbed during operation.
Water levels in the battery can become low due to evaporation, and bubbling out when an overfilled battery is in its last 20% of charge; also called gassing.
When water levels are low the plates in each cell are not completely submerged and the battery cannot use the full capacity of the plates in that cell which can cause low system voltage and high heat in the circuitry of the machine. This is how the battery damages the forklift and causes the need for expensive repairs.
Low water in a battery also causes damage to the battery because of higher acid levels, temperature and composition disparities in the plates, and loss of capacity in general. This combined with “hot charging” can cause memory in the battery in a conventional profile, and more extended damage in an opportunity profile.
When the water is too far above the plates when charging, the water will come out with the acid through the vent caps causing a mess, and lowering acid levels. The lower acid levels in the battery can cause a lagging battery as much as low water. A lagging battery is one losing capacity and sending low voltage to the lift truck causing damage to its components.
Think “make it easy” to keep your battery water levels optimum. A watering system is the way to go if you are in the business of “easy”, and you would be wise to have a qualified technician install them. Then, a filtered water delivery, affixed to the wall or pump cart, at the ready is the bare minimum to be fully prepared to properly water the batteries. If a pump cart is the route, then filtered or store-bought water will not be a waste of time or money.
If the forklift has a hood, then it might be tempting to forgo the installed system, however, the consistency of watering will be non-existent. Not only that, but there will also be the issue of overfilling, spills, and someone with their face directly over the battery every time it gets watered. Anything made hard to do will not get done.
After the tools of “easy” are in place and ready, consistency will more likely ensue. In part 2, we will break down weekly charging, but for watering effectiveness, you will want to add water the next working day after the weekly or “equalize” charge.
Watering the next working day, usually Monday morning, after the weekly charge will ensure that the optimum water levels to keep your batteries clean and running problem-free. But again, consistency is key, it has to be every or every other week because if it isn’t, then it will be never to when the problems arise.
Another option is a bi-weekly watering program provided by a service company. You will need to make sure that you are getting a “watering program” and not a “maintenance program” that washes and resets the acid. Some of the companies that provide these programs will even offer the systems with them.
Whatever you do, don’t rely on the forklift dealers planned maintenance visits as your battery watering system, because if you do you will be disappointed, and out of a lot of money. The only exception to that is if the dealer has agreed specifically to water the battery during visits. That is an exception that would only work for very low use lift trucks.
Cycling
Lead Acid Batteries thrive on consistency, and that also means that it likes routine. There are many different operations that require the forklift to operate and charge at different times, however, batteries live and die by the cycles.
For the conventional profile, the battery needs to be plugged in at the end of the day and have an 8-hour rest period for optimal performance. In this 8-8-8 setting, equalizing on an off day is critical to prevent the sulfation of the plates. For every battery that is being plugged into a conventional charger, or ferromagnetic (non-smart) charger, then the weekly, or equalize, button on the charger will need to be pressed to activate the equalize charge function.
If the charger is a smart charger, or high-frequency, then the charger will equalize in a pre-set window and there is usually no button to press. If the operation is set up as an opportunity profile, which requires the batteries to be charged during the day when the trucks are idle, then equalizing charges is still critical, and the battery should have at least one day off a week.
Whatever the case or operating profile, if the battery is not equalized regularly, then it will require more service work and likely have a shorter life than if it did.
Inspecting
The best time to inspect the battery of a forklift is during the OSHA-mandated pre shift inspection, and then pay attention to changes in condition and cleanliness after that.
The primary items to watch for are acid build-up and streaking, signs of excessive heat on the cables and connectors, exposed copper, and loose or damaged connectors and contacts.
Battery acid accumulation is a chronic issue.
If the battery has accumulated acid on the top, and you will know if it did, then something is amiss with the water/charging cycle and a speedy and proper response will save thousands of dollars in the not-so-distant future. That acid “on” the battery is not “in” the battery and if the issue persists then all of the woes from the watering segment of this article will start showing up in the form of shorter run times and fault codes.
Cables with signs of overheating are an indication of persistent issues.
If the cable, connectors, or any other part of the battery shows signs of excessive heat, even if the battery is clean, then there is a good chance that problems are arising. One of them may be low water, even in just one cell. Another cause of crusty cables, melted connectors, and pitted contacts is loose connections, and/or simply that it hasn’t been plugged in all the way.
Finally, there is no faster way to down a battery than to leave exposed copper on the cables, or letting the cables hang outside of the frame of the truck. If they touch each other or both touch something conductive, there will be a blue flash then the forklift will shut off completely.
Remember that mistakes within a consistent process pale in comparison to the mistake of no process, and no one can provide a solution if no one spots the problem.
By Dustin Link
