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Battery maintenance during the lockdown

Businesses that have had to shut down their materials handling operations during the Covid-19 crisis are advised to take appropriate care where electric forklifts are being left idle, to keep batteries in peak condition.

Industrial batteries specialist Hoppecke recommends that following the correct procedures to maintain battery condition will prevent issues further down the line that could prove time-consuming and costly to rectify.

“Businesses that have had to shut down or curtail their materials handling operations for the foreseeable future have been asking us for advice because, understandably, once they are able to get up and running again, they want to do so as quickly as possible,” said the Hoppecke UK sales and service operations director Stuart Brown.

“The 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.”

Practical steps recommended by the company include making sure that batteries, including any spares, are fully charged, before topping them up with deionised or distilled water to the correct level.

If a battery is left on a truck and not connected to a charger, the forklift DC plug should be disconnected 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, the company advises. It also urges firms to make sure the mains electricity supply to chargers is maintained.

Hoppecke adds that any auxiliary equipment connected to the battery or truck must be switched off or disconnected to stop the battery from discharging and to avoid sulphation.

If a battery is not left on a truck or connected to a charger, it should be reconnected and undergo a refreshing charge every three months. The electrolyte level of all batteries, including those which have had a refresh charge, should be checked after three months.

Brown adds: “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 affect business continuity.”