company news about battery needs upkeep after long time shut down

Batteries need care during shut-down

Appropriate care is vital to keep batteries in peak condition if they sit idle for long periods. While essential supply chains have ramped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, some businesses have been locked down, leaving their materials handling idle for a prolonged period.

In some sectors, such as construction, sites have closed so trucks are likely to stand idle for several weeks. In these circumstances, following the correct procedures will prevent issues further down the line that could prove time- consuming and costly to rectify.

The major risk during a period of inactivity is that batteries left in a discharged or semi-discharged condition will, eventually, suffer from sulphation of the plates, which could reduce capacity or take considerable time and cost to recover.

To avoid problems and maintain battery condition while electric forklifts are standing down, Laker recommends the following steps:

• Make sure that batteries, including any spares that are in use, are fully charged.
• Once charged, top up batteries with deionised or distilled water to the correct level.
• If a battery is left on a truck and not connected to a charger, disconnect the forklift DC plug from the truck.
• Batteries connected to chargers can be left on charge - it is not necessary to switch off chargers once the charge is complete.

Paying close attention to the batteries in trucks that are standing down until the COVID-19 crisis passes is really important. If in doubt, ask for advice because getting it wrong could impact business continuity due to avoidable equipment downtime and expense.