Capital Equipment News March 2019

COVER STORY

“Companies that are currently considering contracts on 1,5 to 5 t IC Engine trucks should at least be looking at the possibility of switching to electric powered forklifts as a way of reducing their costs, improving safety and cutting their carbon footprint,” says Grady. “Electric trucks have come a really long way in the past few years and are now, with this series, a highly viable alternative to IC Engine trucks for most applications.” Battery technology A key topic of discussion as far as electric forklifts are concerned is battery technology. GLTC’s range of electric forklifts are powered by lead-acid, copper stretched metal (CSM) and lithium-ion batteries. Lead-acid batteries have for years been trusted as the power source for electric forklifts. The usage of these batteries in material handling equipment has proved to be cost-efficient than diesel and gas equivalents. One of the downsides of lead-acid battery technology has always been the short intervals between recharge, resulting in unwanted downtime. “However, battery technology is evolving. For example, with improving battery technology and

Companies that are currently considering contracts on 1,5 to 5-t IC Engine trucks should at least be looking at the possibility of switching to electric powered forklifts as a way of reducing costs.

management systems, lead-acid battery cycles have improved from 1 250 cycles to between 1 500 and 1 800 cycles,” says Shafto. There has also been advances in the battery technology with the arrival of CSM and lithium-ion batteries, which also does away with traditional battery bays. “Lithium-ion batteries, in particular, have improved cycles of up to 3 000, compared with 1 250 cycles on older technology,” says Shafto. Last year, Doosan gave a glimpse of its new high-tech forklift, running on lithium-ion batteries. Thanks to this new power source, the B25S-7 Series will run two to three times longer than with the existing lead-acid battery, with a 33% shorter charging time. “In conclusion, let me reiterate that forklift trucks are an integral part of every warehouse's business and they require a sizeable chunk of capital investment. As a result, the best thing distribution managers can do is research and make an informed decision on exactly what kind of forklift truck they require, based on their unique operational needs,” concludes Shafto b

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