Correctly handling forklift and implementing proper maintenance on forklift battery add to its longevity. On an average, majority of lead-acid type forklift batteries has around 2,000 charge cycles. This gives it about five years of service life and to really maximize the battery’s full potential, proper maintenance of the forklift battery should be observed.
Every forklift operator should know the proper way of handling its battery since it is considerably heavy and quite dangerous if mishandled. It is imperative that they are guided and educated on the best practices on forklift battery maintenance to protect your employees and ensure your assets are efficiently used.
Properly Handle The Battery With Special Gears And Equipment
No operator should attempt handling the battery alone. Given its weight, it should be moved with the help of a material handling equipment like a pallet truck. Protective gears should be chemical-resistant due to the battery’s components having hazardous liquid. In line with this, it is required for operators to wear steel-toe shoes to protect them while moving forklift batteries.
Forklift Battery Charging
When it comes to charging your lift trucks and doing maintenance on the batteries, implement a strict protocol. It is quite important to stick on a schedule when charging because if you just do it for convenience it will potentially shorten its life span because the battery have just enough number of cycles. As a rule of thumb, you should charge and recharge your forklift battery when it is not in use; typically, after an eight-hour shift or if it has hit its 30% discharged mark. Also, recharging too frequently will also affect its battery life and eventually shorten its lifespan rather than preserve it.
It is also important to observe its charging cycles. Make sure that the forklift has completed its charging cycle before you use it again because cutting the charging cycle abruptly is counter-productive to its longevity.
Keep The Battery At A Safe Temperature
When charging, you should also check the temperature of the battery since unnecessary heat will shorten its lifespan by half. The safest temperature should be at 25-degree Celsius. Plus, a colder temperature also contributes to the charger where it can achieve and maintain the correct charge voltages. And when operating the forklift itself, make sure that you are using it on a safe environment with at least 113F (45-degree Celsius) temperature level.
Observe and Maintain Battery Fluid Levels
The chemical components of the battery are a mixture between sulphuric acid and water. When the water level gets low, the plates of the battery will be exposed to open air and causes oxidization as a reaction which permanently affects the longevity of your battery life. It is necessary to “water” your batteries after a charge. Make sure to use non-ionized water because additives in the water will leave a residue on the plates which affect battery performance.
This article is provided to serve as a guide so you can extend both your forklift and its battery life. We hope you find these helpful for maintaining your forklifts and the batteries.