BY DC VELOCITY STAFF
BATTERIES AND CHARGERS
materialhandlingupdate
Lithium-ion charger and battery
pack. The Superion lithium-ion
charger and battery pack for pallet
jacks received MHI’s Innovation
Award in 2014 for its ability to
provide pallet jacks with more ener-gy-dense and cost-effective battery
power than lead acid batteries can.
Made by Applied Energy Solutions,
the unit is maintenance-free, recharges quickly, and
requires less energy to do so, saving money while delivering an environmentally friendly source of energy. Applied
Energy Solutions ( www.appliedenergysol.com)
Water deionizer. Battery Watering
Technologies has improved its
water deionizer by replacing the
previous purity-indicator light with
a battery-operated version. As a
result, the deionizer no longer has
to be plugged in to operate and is
now completely mobile. The new
light is a “push to check” unit—
“Good” indicates the cartridge is
fine, while “Service” means the cartridge needs to be
replaced. Battery Watering Technologies ( www.battery
watering.com)
Hydrogen exhaust monitoring kit. The BHS Hydrogen
Exhaust Fan Kit from Battery
Handling Systems (BHS)
monitors hydrogen gas levels, activating the operating
alarms and ventilation fans
when necessary to exhaust
gases. The kit is intended for
use in battery-charging rooms
and other areas where hydrogen gas may be present. BHS
also offers an online calculator for estimating the possible level of hydrogen in a facility. BHS Battery Handling
Systems Inc. ( http://na.bhs1.com)
Battery monitoring
device. Douglas Data Trac
from Douglas Battery, an
EnerSys brand, attaches to a battery to collect
data about the battery’s usage, charge return, water level,
temperature, and equalization. DataTrac records min-ute-by-minute battery details that can be uploaded to a
computer via Bluetooth and tracked using the company’s
Douglas Data Manager software. The device fits every
battery make and model, the manufacturer says. Douglas
Battery ( www.douglasbattery.com)
Battery bonanza!
These recently released products from makers of batteries,
chargers, and battery maintenance equipment can help you
get better performance from your electric lift trucks.
LIFT TRUCK BATTERIES ARE SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF WAREHOUSE AND DC OPERATIONS
that they’re often taken for granted. They shouldn’t be: Over time, operational requirements change and
lift truck batteries and associated equipment—chargers, watering systems, monitors, and the like—become
obsolete or their performance declines.
If that sounds familiar, then it might be time to replace or upgrade your current equipment. The following are some of the battery-related products that have been released in the past year or so. They may be just
the ticket for helping you get top-flight performance from your lift trucks.
