Charge of the LifePlus brigade
October 1st 2003

Choosing the right batteries and chargers can result in substantial long term savings. Charlotte Stonestreet visited Hawker Traction in Northern France to find out more When you are in the market for an electric lift truck, or any piece of equipment that requires battery power for that matter, it is all too easy to overlook the importance of the batteries and related issues. However, with batteries accounting for around 25% of the cost of most lift trucks, they are something that really warrants a bit more thought. What sort of batteries are best for your needs? How many are needed? What facilities are needed for charging? All these issues, and many more, can have a dramatic effect on the efficiency of your fleet, and consequently on profits. One company out to help their customers get the most from their batteries is Hawker Traction. As well as providing almost every type of industrial battery you would ever need, Hawker offers battery handling and charging solutions for all applications. Evolution One of the latest products from Hawker is the Evolution, a valve regulated gas recombination battery with gelled electrolyte. It is suitable for use in forklifts, pallet trucks, electric vehicles, floor cleaning and sweeping machines and automatic transport systems. The gelled electrolyte prevents any acid leakage, negating the need for special anti-acid flooring and making the battery suitable for clean applications. Being maintenance free the Evolution never requires topping up with water. It has very low gas emissions during charging which means that it is possible to make use of simplified charging areas without gas detection systems. Eye safety showers and demineralised water supplies no longer have to be provided. It also makes opportunity charging an option, which can be particularly beneficial in large plants where it take time to get to a specific charging area. As a result cost savings can be achieved. The cells are joined by insulated flexible, halogen-free connectors. These are bolt on and allow cells to be easily replaced or moved without the use of heat welding equipment. To complement its battery range, Hawker produces state of the art charging systems. One of the leaders in high frequency charging technology, Hawker has been prevalent in this area since 1988 and prides itself on always being one step in front of the competition. The latest generation of HF chargers - the LifePlus and Powertech ranges are compact and lightweight, as well as being easy to use. The modular design enables the streamlined assembly of differently rated versions and also facilitates simpler servicing. They can be wall mounted, double or triple stacked, saving space in battery changing rooms and easing opportunity charging. According to Hawker, the HF chargers offer as much as 50% higher energy efficiency than 50Hz chargers. They automatically detect the batterys level of discharge and supply only the amount of power needed to restore full charge. This means less mains power is required to charge a battery and costs per charge are reduced. When used in conjunction with the Evolution battery, savings in electricity costs are said to be as much as 30%. There are also time benefits to be had, with the HF usually taking about eight hours for a full charge, compared with the twelve hours taken by a standard 50hz charger. Mixed fleet solution Both ranges automatically accommodate batteries of different capacities and can be programmed for all battery technologies. LifePlus models will also operate with various battery voltages, offering a solution for users with mixed truck fleets. In short, whatever battery you need charging, Hawkers HF chargers can do the job. The display panels on the chargers provide at-a-glance information on the type of battery, its status, level of charge and charging profile. Hawkers EasyControl and SmartControl further enhance the information available to the user by enabling data on the last 100 charges to be downloaded to a PC or laptop. With this it is possible to see how a battery has been used, for example, whether it has been over discharged, and take action accordingly. It can help indicate if a battery has been misused, or even if it is the wrong type of battery for that particular application. It can even be used to prevent problems before they occur, increasing the life of the battery. This is particularly good news for those renting out fleets, who can now tell if their batteries are being abused.

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