140 Best Practices
The new batteries and
supercapacitors for automated material
handling systems
In recent years, there has been widespread change in the technology
used to store electrical energy in automated handling systems. The
largest manufacturers in the sector have been gradually replacing
lead-acid batteries with lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors
since they maximize the performance of electronic devices.
These new devices have been a breakthrough for materials handling systems in
general and in particular for automatic systems. To better understand how this development has improved and evolved the market, first the characteristics of traditional
batteries, such as lead-acid, must be given
due consideration.
Lead-acid batteries
Batteries are composed of a repository of
sulfuric acid where parallelly placed lead
plates are submerged, alternated according to their polarity, and act as the cathode
(negative pole) and anode (positive pole) of
the battery. Inside the repository, a series of
chemical reactions occur between the lead
plates that allow the storage and extraction
of electrical energy according to the needs
of the device they are powering.
There is extensive worldwide use of these
batteries due to the low cost per unit of
stored electrical power (known as a low cost
per watt-hour). In addition, they maintain
the interior power levels very well while they
are not in use.
Mecalux Pallet Shuttle with
lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion)
Lead-acid batteries.
Insulated charging room
