Material Handling CHARGING SYSTEMS
706 Lane Street | Sandusky, Ohio 44870 419.625.4014| WWW.LEWCOINC.COM
RETAILE-COMMERCEDISTRIBUTION
Freight optimization is driving the industry to ship smaller
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POLY-VDRIVEN FLOW
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POLY-V DRIVEN EDGE
ALIGNING CONVEYOR
POLY-V DRIVEN
MERGE CONVEYOR
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VISITUSATPACKEXPOBOOTHE-9339
44 DC VELOCITY AUGUST 2018 www.dcvelocity.com
fast charging shorten the life of the battery, fast charging is the
quickest way to wear the battery out.
“You’re going to have to change out the battery sooner by
fast charging or by opportunity charging—but you’ll have to
replace the battery even sooner with fast charging,” he says,
adding that fast charging equates to overcharging the battery,
which hastens its ultimate demise. “The benefits of fast and
opportunity charging are getting amp hours back into the bat-
tery throughout the day versus getting a full depth of discharge
and recharging fully. The negative is … that it’s just not good
for the battery.”
But again, the risk makes sense in certain situations—especial-
ly when balancing the cost of reduced battery life with investing
in multiple batteries and equipment up front. Smaller opera-
tions running one shift are unlikely to see the same productivity
gains from either opportunity or fast charging that their larger
counterparts running multiple shifts will—especially if they’re
using equipment less or for lighter-duty tasks. Such operations
may end up shortening battery life unnecessarily, Hagen says.
It’s worth noting that fast charging makes up a small portion
of the battery and charger market today. Harrison estimates
that fast chargers represent less than 10 percent of the market
compared with conventional and opportunity-charging systems. Opportunity charging is far more widespread, Hagen and
Harrison agree.
KNOW YOUR NEEDS
Weighing the pros and cons of conventional charging, opportunity charging, and fast charging is no easy task. That’s why
Harrison, Hagen, and others recommend that customers begin
with a “power study” of their facility’s equipment and environment to determine the best option. Such studies are usually
conducted by a battery/charger dealer and utilize monitoring
equipment placed on all batteries in use. Using sensors and
software, the monitoring system tracks conditions such as
amp-hour usage and idle time. The dealer also considers how
the equipment is used and the environmental factors at play—
such as temperature and humidity—as well as utility costs and
related issues.
Brian Faust, general manager for Winston-Salem, N.C.-based
battery, charger, and accessories maker Douglas Battery, says
such studies can make or break a company’s charging optimization initiative. Douglas Battery recommends running a power
study for two weeks, although 30 days is preferable if time
allows, to establish the best charging method and equipment
required.
“There is no particular market segment best suited to fast
charging or opportunity charging. It all depends on a particular
customer’s demand out of their equipment,” he explains. “And
the power study is the key to determining which of the three
[methods] is quoted. Not doing one and just selling a customer
a program can mean that they don’t get the results they want,
or that they spend too much or too little …
“You have to be able to do your due diligence. If you’re not
doing power studies, you’re not doing your customer justice.”
