How Long Does a Forklift Battery Actually Last?
To make sure that valuable units of electric forklift batteries will last, you should perform correct care and maintenance. These industrial grade batteries are expensive, big and heavy. If the battery is more efficient, the more productive your machine operators can be. Extending the battery life span is a main concern, not just because of the replacement cost, but also because of the cost of down time associated with battery issues.
Charging Cycles
Keep in mind that you can only recharge batteries of forklifts when they are at least 80 percent discharged. The discharge rate differs depending on different things like for instance the average load weight, the number of shifts being worked and the number of hours the forklift is being used. For busy operations, charging nightly may be required. Nonetheless, remember that charging a battery very often will wear the battery a lot faster.
Life Span
Brand new forklift batteries are normally made to last 1,500 charge cycles at least. Hence, if the battery is being charged daily, the battery would last about five years. Nonetheless, this is an average estimate. The life of the battery can be extended a lot beyond the average 1,500 charge cycles with proper maintenance.
Deep Discharge
Make certain that the forklift battery is never discharged completely. Not only can damage to the battery result from what is called "deep discharge", the forklift's electrical components and motor could sustain damage too. This is because the damaged battery could alter the amount of power being supplied to the forklift. The ability of the charger to communicate properly with the forklift battery could be compromised also. In a worst-case scenario, the compromised battery charger can not charge the forklift battery fully, resulting in a destructive cycle of incomplete charges. A service technician might be needed to return the battery charger to proper working condition.