Tips For Investing In Electric Forklifts And Charging Stations

28 November 2016
 Categories: , Blog


If you're new to managing a fleet of electric forklifts in your warehouse, you may not know how to find the best batteries and charging equipment to keep those trucks running. Before you invest in the wrong kind of equipment for your forklifts, here are a few tips to help you choose.

Buy Your Batteries And Chargers From The Same Place

When you source the battery and the charger from the same supplier, you have a better chance of ensuring compatibility. Making one mistake and getting the wrong charger or an underpowered battery may leave you at risk of overcharging, overheating or even a potential battery malfunction. When you order both from the same supplier, you can match the voltage output of the charger to the voltage demand of the battery, ensuring less risk of damage.

Make Sure You Understand Your Budget

Before you invest in any equipment for your warehouse, you need to be sure of exactly how much you want to spend. Since you'll need a separate charger for each of the forklifts, you'll have to be sure that you have the financial capacity to meet that demand. You'll also need to consider the cost of the electrical components and wiring work for the charging stations.

Consider Investing In Smart Chargers

If you're going to be leaving forklifts unattended while they're charging, you need to have some peace of mind that they are safe and secure. Buying smart chargers is the best way to do this. Smart chargers are automatic, turning on when needed and turning off when the battery is fully charged. This prevents overcharging, which causes heating and explosions.

In addition, you can also find chargers that monitor the temperature of the battery in real time, adjusting the temperature as necessary to keep it safe. If the battery temperature falls outside the acceptable range, the system will adjust the charge accordingly.

Have An Electrician Evaluate Your Wiring

Since the charging stations are hard-wired into the building's electrical grid, you need to be sure that the grid can hold up to that demand. Sometimes it's easiest to install an additional circuit to keep the power demand isolated. That way, if there's a short in the wiring or a spike in the demand, it's isolated to a single circuit, not affecting the entire electrical grid.

With these tips, you'll be able to invest in electric forklifts and charging stations for your business without fear of the infrastructure required. Talk with your local supplier, such as Enterprise Battery Corporation, today for more information.


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