BY TOBY B. GOOLEY, MANAGING EDITOR BATTERIES AND CHARGERS
materialhandlingupdate
A look
down the road
PHOTO COURTES Y AEROVIRONMEN T, INC., W W W. AVINC. COM
Think there’s
nothing new in
lift truck batteries
and associated
equipment? Not so.
Here are four
trends that could
have a big impact
on how you manage
those assets.
LET’S FACE IT: LIFT TRUCK BATTERIES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT—
such as battery changing, monitoring, and charging systems—aren’t the sexiest
things in the warehouse. They’re not as glamorous as robots or as attention-grab-bing as high-speed conveyor systems. As a result, they’re often taken for granted.
But these workhorses of the warehouse and DC are especially worthy of attention right now. Several factors—including technology, the economy, the environment, and regulatory controls—are having a notable impact on what buyers
of batteries and associated equipment are purchasing and how they manage
those assets.
What can you expect down the road? Here are four trends to watch.
1. Companies will adopt more efficient charging systems.
Although high-frequency chargers have been available in Europe for years,
they’re now becoming a hot topic in North America. Most chargers for industrial batteries used here are ferroresonant or silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR)
types, but these typically have only a 60- to 80-percent efficiency rate for con-
