Regular maintenance and scientific overhaul of electric forklift battery not only prolongs the battery life, but also effectively avoids operation interruptions caused by sudden failures.
Frequently Asked Questions about Electric Forklift Batteries
In the actual use of the process, electric forklift batteries may appear the following kinds of common failures
1. Decrease in battery capacity: The battery cannot be fully charged or the discharge time is shortened, usually related to electrolyte imbalance and polar plate sulfation.
2. Loss of electrolyte: the level is lower than the specified standard, which may be caused by water evaporation, poor sealing or frequent high temperature operation.
3. Plate Sulfuration: Long time undercharge, storage or deep discharge leads to the formation of lead sulfate crystals on the surface of the plate, which affects the conductivity.
4. Battery bulging or liquid leakage: Case deformation and liquid leakage are commonly caused by overcharging or abnormal ambient temperature.
5. Loose connection or corrosion: loose battery terminals or corrosion of the joints, resulting in increased resistance or even short circuit.
Electric forklift battery overhaul process
To ensure that the battery pack is always in good working order, it is recommended that a thorough inspection be performed at least once a month. The following are the standard overhaul procedures:
1. Appearance check
Check whether the battery case is complete, with no bulging, rupture or liquid leakage.
Check whether the connecting cables are firm and whether there is oxidation or corrosion at the terminals.
2. Electrolyte test
Open the battery filler cap and use the electrolyte hydrometer to check the specific gravity of each single battery (standard value is about 1.270~1.290).
If the electrolyte is lower than the lowest level, add deionized water, do not add sulfuric acid.
3. Voltage and current detection
Use a multimeter to measure the voltage of the whole battery (commonly 24V, 36V or 48V), and compare the nominal voltage to determine whether it is undervoltage.
Test the voltage of each individual battery to check whether there is a “backward battery”.
4. Cleaning and maintenance
Wipe the surface of the battery with a dry cloth to remove dust and electrolyte residues, and keep it well ventilated.
Apply anticorrosive grease at the terminals to prevent oxidation.
5. Charge and Discharge Test
Conduct a standard charging cycle test on the battery and observe the charging time, current change and whether it is overheated.
During the discharge process, monitor whether the voltage of each battery is balanced to avoid over-discharge of individual batteries.
Electric forklift battery maintenance precautions
Avoid over-discharge: when the power is less than 20%, it should be charged in time, deep discharge will aggravate the aging of the pole plate.
Regularly replenish water: check the liquid level once a week or once every two weeks to ensure that the liquid level is always higher than the pole plate.
Use special charger: Match the charger recommended by the original manufacturer to avoid abnormal voltage/current damage to the battery.
Disconnect the battery in time after charging: Prevent thermal runaway or bulging caused by overcharging.
Temperature control: The working environment of the battery should be kept between 15℃~35℃, extreme temperature will reduce the performance.
When should I replace my battery?
Electric forklift batteries also have a service life. General lead-acid batteries can be used for about 4 to 5 years under good maintenance, and should be considered for replacement when the following conditions occur:
Charging frequency increased significantly and discharge time shortened dramatically;
Battery voltage cannot be restored, and there are multiple backward monomers;
Serious deformation of the battery shell, with potential safety hazards;
Serious deterioration of electrolyte or internal short circuit.
Daily maintenance of electric forklift batteries is necessary, through regular inspection, reasonable charging and discharging and scientific maintenance, you can significantly extend the service life of the battery and reduce the overall cost of use.