3 Ways To Extend The Life Of Your Warehouse's Lift Truck Batteries
A lift truck, or forklift, is a piece of machinery that you use on a regular basis in your warehouse. This machine is typically fairly compact in size, designed to cut through corners and aisles of your warehouse to retrieve and move large pallets of items or heavy supplies. You want your machines to always run reliably, and keeping batteries in excellent working condition is one way to do this. Here are 3 ways you can extend the life of your warehouse's lift truck batteries so your equipment is better guaranteed to work.
Charge them often
If you use your lift trucks on a daily basis, charge their batteries once a week on a charger until full. You want to do this by charging it at a lower amp than it normally operates on to avoid over-charging or destroying your battery. Charge a battery on no higher than 40% of its regular voltage to get the most out of it when in use and to help it last longer. Make sure the charge is constant and not varying above 40% at any time while charging.
Run the machines periodically
If your lift trucks are only used on occasion, such as when you get new inventory or when you are rearranging your shelves, then batteries in the equipment can die simply due to lack of use. Every few weeks start the machines and leave them running for several minutes outside the building to keep the batteries more naturally charged. Always remain in attendance when equipment is running to help keep accidents at bay.
Keep corrosion at bay
A corroded battery may not keep a charge as well as a clean one. Corrosion is fairly easy to see, and creates a buildup of rust or a foamy-looking substance in or around charge points. Corrosion is typically caused by moisture or an old, leaking battery and can wear out even a newer battery quickly. You can get rid of corrosion to create a better charge in lift truck batteries by using baking soda or cola in a wet rag and wiping the affected area down. Never do this while the engine is running.
You always want your warehouse's lift trucks to operate reliably. Keeping batteries in the best condition can help make sure your equipment is always ready to perform. Whether you are dealing with corrosion, dead batteries, or even batteries that need to be charged often, you can use these tips to extend the life of your machines' batteries for optimum performance.
For more information, contact an industrial battery supplier like Enterprise Battery Corporation.
