How Long Does a Forklift Battery Last?
To make certain that valuable units of electric forklift batteries would have long life, you should carry out correct maintenance and care. These industrial grade batteries are heavy, costly and large. The more efficient the battery, the more productive your machine operators can be. Extending the battery life span is a top priority, not just because of the replacement cost, but also because of the cost of down time connected with battery issues.
Charging Cycles
Remember that you could just recharge forklift batteries when they are at least 80 percent discharged. The discharge rate differs depending on different factors such as how many hours the forklift is being utilized, the average load weight and the number of shifts being worked. For busy operations, charging nightly may be needed. However, remember that charging a battery very frequently would wear the battery a lot faster.
Life Span
Usually, a brand new forklift battery would last at least 1,500 charge cycles. Hence, if the battery is being charged daily, the battery will last around five years. Nevertheless, this is an average estimate. The battery life span can be extended a lot beyond the average 1,500 charge cycles with correct maintenance.
Deep Discharge
Make sure that the forklift battery is never discharged fully. Not only could damage to the battery result from what is known as a "deep discharge", the electrical parts and motor of the forklift can also sustain damage. This is because the battery which is damaged could change the amount of power being supplied to the forklift. The ability of the charger to properly communicate with the forklift battery can also be compromised. In a worst-case scenario, the compromised charger could not charge the battery fully, resulting in a destructive cycle of incomplete charges. A service technician might be needed to return the battery charger to proper working condition.