Battery bank bids to optimse safety
March 1st 2011 Motive power specialist
EnerSys Motive Power is
now supplying four-tier
battery banks which reduce
significantly the footprint of lift truck
battery change and charge
operations, facilitate easy
maintenance and maximise
operational safety. The battery tiers
are serviced by an innovative all
electric-powered battery changing
cart, the EnerSys Pro-Series Battery
Bull BBE.
"The four-high battery bank is a
natural development for larger
operations which demand maximum
flexibility," says Dave Smith of
EnerSys Motive Power."Not all our
customers go straight to the top
level, but instead build a battery
room which can be extended at any
time in the future without poaching
any additional operational
floorspace."
By building in the extra capacity
EnerSys four-tier battery banks allow
for easy maintenance with maximum
safety. Engineers can operate safely,
without disrupting normal
warehouse operations, while a
proportion of the battery bank is
taken offline. The new design
incorporating all electric drives for
lift & travel eliminates the use of
hydraulics used in previous models.
This simplified system means easier
service & maintenance.
The Pro-Series BBE which services
the battery racks is a semi-automated
all electric powered change cart. It
runs on concealed rails alongside
rows of chargers.When a change is
required, the truck approaches the
changing area, the battery is
disconnected and a trained member
of staff completes the change. The
BBE extracts the battery from the
truck onto its on-board roller bed
using a powerful extending electromagnet
and then pushes the battery
into place for charging. Batteries on
the second, third and fourth levels of
the charging bank are handled in the
same way. Changing batteries is a
quick and simple one-man job which
can be accomplished in around 90
seconds.
"Battery charge and change
operations are often viewed as a
necessary evil because they consume
so much valuable storage space.
Four-high turns this idea on its head
and adds a new dimension to
warehouse management," says Smith. More articles from Enersys Ltd: | 
