SIX SIGNS YOU NEED TO RETHINK YOUR POWER SOURCE

If your productivity is lower than it was just months ago, or if your lift trucks aren’t meeting the number of transports per hour they should, insufficient forklift power may be the cause. When forklifts can’t keep up with the demands of critical operations, productivity suffers.

There are multiple causes for lower operator productivity when traditional lead-acid batteries are used. For example, frequent battery changes often cause forklift delays, leaving you to pay for nonproductive time associated with these time-consuming tasks. These batteries also have a noticeable drop-off in power after the battery is 50 percent depleted, so your trucks can’t do as much work toward the end of a shift as at the beginning. Another common problem is operator discipline regarding the charging of lead-acid batteries. If operators don’t charge batteries at regular intervals, fail to use opportunity charging or make battery charging an excuse to take a break, your equipment’s productivity can be adversely impacted.

To help prevent these problems, take a closer look at more advanced forklift power options that require little or no charging or swap-out time and keep consistent power throughout a shift.  

A growing or changing operation may need to do more in the same facility footprint. In these cases, space constraints can hinder throughput growth and potentially compromise safety by overcrowding operations. You need to maximize the amount of space dedicated to revenue-generating activities, including inventory storage and production.

Often, a traditional battery room occupies precious floor space and can’t be relocated. Depending on the size of your operation, spare batteries and charging equipment can account for thousands of square feet that are not generating revenue. Outdoor LP tank storage, for example, takes up space in a yard that could be used for more productive activity.

Use cycles are another factor to consider. A traditional lead-acid battery has three stages: usage, charging and cooling. So, at any given time, a forklift in a three-shift operation will typically have two batteries stored or charging. LP tanks have a two-stage cycle of use and swap. Therefore, each combustion engine forklift will frequently have three or more LP tanks in storage for a three-shift operation. When you look at the entire fleet of forklifts, the space needed to hold those batteries and tanks really adds up.

Many facility managers assume that a large battery room or outside LP tank storage is merely the price of doing business. However, there are newer forklift power sources that require no charging and others that virtually eliminate the need for storage of spares—achieving one-truck-to-one-power-source ratio. These options can help free up facility space, so you can convert it to more productive operations.  

Depending on their use, batteries typically last for a set number of cycles. When they fail prematurely, it is often because of overuse or bad charging habits.

When traditional lead-acid batteries are charged before most of their useable charge is discharged, such charging reduces their overall service life. Operators not fully discharging traditional lead-acid batteries or charging based solely on convenience may be shortening overall service life in the long run, creating extra expenses to replace batteries prematurely.

Moreover, as a battery discharges, more strain is put on forklift motors, hydraulics and chassis because the lift truck is working harder with less power and more heat. So these trucks require more vigilance in terms of wear and tear. Changing out a traditional lead-acid battery for a newer power-source technology is often easier on the truck and helps maximize its productive life.  

Renting extra lift trucks can be a quick way to overcome productivity deficiencies, but this might be a symptom of a bigger problem.

During peak seasons or periods of high demand, managers may rent extra forklifts to replace trucks that are charging or waiting in line to charge. In some cases, there may be several unused forklifts just sitting around as backup. This redundant equipment not only is an added expense but also requires storage space when not in use.

When this happens, it’s time to take another look at your power source. A forklift running on newer power technologies will often have longer run times, so rentals will become unnecessary—and you may be able to reduce your overall forklift fleet size.  

With fewer skilled workers available than ever before, talented operators are essential to keeping operations running. But labor shortages sometimes force companies to hire operators who have little experience operating forklifts.

In the case of working with traditional lead-acid batteries and LP tanks, lack of experience can potentially increase safety hazards with regard to battery handling and charging or LP tank changing. Plus, unmotivated or unhappy operators may have poor charging habits, leading to shorter battery life over time.

With a crew of less-experienced operators, it’s best to have forklifts that are very simple to operate and maintain. Newer power sources typically require less maintenance and less charging time in a shift, so you can make the best use of the operators you have.  

With fewer skilled workers available than ever before, talented operators are essential to keeping operations running. But labor shortages sometimes force companies to hire operators who have little experience operating forklifts.

In the case of working with traditional lead-acid batteries and LP tanks, lack of experience can potentially increase safety hazards with regard to battery handling and charging or LP tank changing. Plus, unmotivated or unhappy operators may have poor charging habits, leading to shorter battery life over time.

With a crew of less-experienced operators, it’s best to have forklifts that are very simple to operate and maintain. Newer power sources typically require less maintenance and less charging time in a shift, so you can make the best use of the operators you have.