How Long Does a Forklift Battery Truly Last?
Electric forklifts batteries are valuable units that need proper care and maintenance to be able to ensure a long life. These industrial grade batteries are large, heavy and expensive. If the battery is more efficient, the more effective your machine operators can be. Extending the life span of the battery is really a main concern, not only because of the replacement cost, but also because of the cost of down time associated with battery issues.
Charging Cycles
batteries of forklifts must be recharged just when they are at least 80% discharged. The discharge rate varies depending upon various factors like for example the average weight of loads, the number of shifts being worked and the number of hours the forklift is being used. For busy operations, nightly charging may be needed. However, bear in mind that charging a battery too often will wear the battery more quickly.
Life Span
Usually, a new forklift battery will last at least 1,500 charge cycles. Thus, if the forklift battery is being charged every day, the battery will last around five years. However, this is an average estimation. 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 could damage to the battery result from what is referred to as a "deep discharge", the forklift's electrical components and motor could sustain damage too. This is because the damaged battery could change the amount of power being supplied to the forklift. The ability of the battery charger to properly communicate with the forklift battery could be compromised also. In a worst-case scenario, the compromised battery charger would be unable to charge the forklift battery completely, causing a destructive cycle of incomplete charges. A service technician might be required to return the battery charger to proper working order.