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COMPLETE CATALOG 1-800-295-5510
applications that call for handling products like food or
chemicals that may be subject to regulations affecting the
use of material handling equipment.
; Safety. Every type of power source has its own procedures and rules for safe handling, operation, charging/
filling, and disposal or recycling that end-users must follow.
A change in motive power, therefore, requires safety-aware-ness education for every employee and ongoing training for
those who come in direct contact with the power source.
De Souza cites the example of lithium-ion batteries. “It’s
important that customers understand the different regulations that govern the certification of lithium-ion so they can
ensure that they are getting not only a robust solution that’s
purpose-built for the lift-truck industry, but also one that
complies with well-accepted regulations to protect end-users,” she explains.
; Infrastructure. Changing power sources may require
costly modifications to a building’s infrastructure. If you
move from LP to electrics with lead-acid batteries, for
example, you’ll need to build a battery room with appropriate ventilation, electrical service, and battery-monitoring
and -handling equipment. Adopting hydrogen or CNG
requires installing gas-storage infrastructure and dispensing
stations that meet safety codes and regulations.
One common consideration is electricity. Paramore notes
that some power types require charging or filling stations to
be available at multiple locations in a facility. In such cases,
it may be necessary to run electrical service to additional
positions in the building to create enough power drops
for the new stations, he says. Furthermore, conventional,
opportunity-, and fast-charging applications place differ-
ent burdens on the electrical service—and as several of the
experts pointed out, older facilities may not have sufficient
capacity for opportunity or fast charging and will require
utility upgrades.
; Total cost of ownership and ROI. No matter what the final
choice is, there will be costs involved. Many buyers focus on
the purchase price, and for new technologies, the upfront
cost can seem daunting, although prices are coming down.
But experts caution against basing decisions on such a
limited view. Raymond’s de Souza points to lithium-ion
Hammond agrees. “Look at what adds the most value
to the operation and brings, for example, an increase in
productivity or reduces downtime. In most cases, that’s
not going to be the lowest-cost solution.” The challenge,
he says, is to determine the actual return on investment
(ROI) by weighing all relevant costs—including those that
may not be obvious or are not easy to quantify—against
the benefits.
