How Long Does a Forklift Battery Last?
To be able to make certain that expensive units of electric forklift batteries will last, you must carry out proper maintenance and care. These industrial grade batteries are big, heavy and expensive. The more efficient the battery, the more productive your machine operators can be. Extending the battery life span is truly a main concern, not only because of the cost of replacement, but also because of the expense of down time connected with battery issues.
Charging Cycles
Remember that you could just recharge batteries of forklifts when they are at least 80% discharged. The rate of discharge differs depending upon different factors like for example the average load weight, the number of shifts being worked and how many hours the forklift is being utilized. For busy operations, charging every night may be needed. Nonetheless, remember that charging a battery very frequently will wear the battery a lot faster.
Life Span
Commonly, a brand new forklift battery would last at least 1,500 charge cycles. Hence, if the forklift battery is being charged every day, the battery would last around five years. Nevertheless, this is an average estimation. The battery life span can be extended a lot beyond the average 1,500 charge cycles with proper maintenance.
Deep Discharge
Make sure that the forklift battery is never discharged fully. Not only could damage to the battery be caused by what is referred to as a "deep discharge", the forklift's electrical parts and motor could sustain damage also. This is because the damaged battery can alter the amount of power being supplied to the forklift. The ability of the battery charger to communicate properly with the battery could also be compromised. In a worst-case scenario, the compromised battery charger could not fully charge the battery, leading to a destructive cycle of incomplete charges. A service technician may be required to return the battery charger to proper working order.