Warehouse efficiency is surprisingly reliant on the health of your forklift batteries — as without these batteries, your forklifts can’t operate as they should.
Yet forklift batteries require a good deal of maintenance and care, and are also highly prone to a number of problems and complications that can end up hampering overall warehouse efficiency.
Want to know how to prevent the most prevalent problems from taking place in your forklift battery room location? Here are the three most common forklift battery problems, along with tips on how to keep them from taking place:
Battery spills and leaks
Forklift batteries contain a great volume of highly hazardous substances. From heavy metals like lead to hydrogen gas, these batteries are extremely dangerous to work around if the proper safety procedures aren’t observed. Electrolyte spray and acid spills are both common problems for forklift batteries. To prevent electrolyte spray, you should keep vent caps on batteries; to prevent acid spills and leaks, exercise extreme care when handling and transporting batteries.
Battery corrosion
Forklift batteries contain high levels of acid, as well, which can corrode the battery’s exterior if it leaks and isn’t cleaned up. To prevent this corrosion and to keep your battery’s lifespan at its ideal level, it’s essential to perform regular forklift battery washing procedures.
Compromised forklift battery life
Ideally, each forklift battery should have a lifespan of approximately 6,000 hours, or 1,500 charge cycles. However, this lifespan is often reduced or compromised due to problems that arise with improper charging procedures. Fast charging a battery too frequently exposes the battery to high heat levels that can reduce the battery’s life and ability to hold a charge. In addition, operating batteries that have less than a 20% charge should never be operated to prevent overheating and forklift motor failure.
Have any other questions for us on preventing problems during forklift battery washing, management and handling? Ask us anything in the comments section below this article. Read this website for more information. Good references.