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Powered by: Sun Microsystems |
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Battery
Products
To make your new
or existing forklift battery virtually maintenance free,
we recommend installing an Automatic
Battery Watering System and Water Level Indicator Light.
This can be accomplished for approximately $20 per cell, plus (1) $50 indicator module
(installed). The benefits are: ·
Weekly battery watering takes just
one to two minutes. ·
No user contact with the battery or
vent caps. ·
No safety equipment required (such
as eye wash systems and protective gear). ·
Narrow isle trucks do not require
removal of the battery for watering. ·
Accidental overfilling, acid
overflow and corrosion are eliminated. ·
You will achieve the maximum number
of cycles and productivity, usually 7yrs or more. ·
The optional battery water level
indicator light further reduces maintenance by eliminating unnecessary water
level checks, and allows operators and management to easily monitor water
levels at a glance. Example: Automatic Battery Watering System
Automatic Watering System
| Filler is Easily
Accessible | 5gal.
Reservoir | Water Level Indicator
The five most common reasons for
Premature Battery Failure: 1. Low
water levels · From our experience, this is the number one cause of battery failure. ·
Charging batteries that are as
little as 1” low on water can cause damage to the entire battery that can
never be repaired. It dries and burns the uppermost portion
of the “plates”, causing high resistance that is permanent, and
effectively isolates the portion that remained submerged. ·
Even when the proper water levels are restored, the damaged portion
continues to cause high resistance and the battery runs much hotter
from that point forward, causing accelerated water loss and further plate damage due to overheating. 2. Over Charging and Opportunity
Charging
·
Industrial batteries are typically
designed to last at least 1,500 charge cycles, over
a five to fifteen year period. Each time you charge a battery, regardless of
how long, it constitutes one cycle. ·
Consistently charging a battery
twice per day, during lunch breaks for example, is known as Opportunity
Charging, and reduces the useful life of a battery by 50%. ·
The additional heat generated by
opportunity charging a battery usually reduces the run time equal or greater
in proportion to the amount of charge it actually received, making the
practice completely ineffective and costly. ·
Routinely charging the battery
before it is 80% discharged is another common form of over
charging. For example, if you only use the battery a few hours a day, it’s
best to use it until it is truly in need of charging before actually plugging
it in. Remember, each charge constitutes one cycle, so try not to charge
unnecessarily. 3. Over
watering ·
Commonly occurs as a reaction to low
water levels, but is a major problem unto
itself. ·
Flushes the electrolyte from the cells and gradually dilutes the acid to the point that the battery can no
longer function properly. In many cases this can be remedied sending the
battery out to have the acid adjusted, but the battery’s life will still be
shortened somewhat. ·
Causes tray corrosion (listed
below). 4. Failing
to Equalize Charge ·
Batteries should receive an Equalize
Charge once every 10 cycles. ·
Almost all chargers are equipped
with an Equalize feature. On older chargers, this setting is usually referred
to as Weekend or Weekly charge. ·
Selecting this setting adds 3
additional hours to a normal charge, ensuring all of the cells in the battery reach full charge, and
the allowing extra time for the electrolyte to mix during the Gassing
Stage. ·
Failure to equalize causes reduced
battery run time and eventual failure, due to Sulfation, Stratification, and
an imbalanced capacity between the cells. 5. Corrosion ·
Batteries should be rinsed or washed
at least once per year to prevent corrosion. ·
Even when the proper water levels are consistently
maintained, sulfuric acid vapors escape during charge.
These vapors leave an oily sulfuric acid residue on the top of the
battery around the vent caps. Over time, the water in the residue evaporates
leaving full strength, concentrated acid that is much more concentrated than
the diluted acid inside the battery. ·
The concentrated acid is very
conductive. As it gradually accumulates and spreads out, it eventually makes
contact between the intercell connectors across the top of the battery. This
results in shorting between the cells, causing the battery to self-discharge, and additional heat during charge
and use. ·
Even though battery trays have a
baked on powder coat finish, they will easily corrode if the residue is not
rinsed off. The corrosion will become progressively worse until it is either
removed, or it destroys the battery. |
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CABLE CORROSION
– REPAIRABLE:
This is a commonly overlooked problem which causes
reduced run time and all of the classic symptoms of a bad battery or cell. Many times this is the only problem,
and replacing the corroded cable increases run time dramatically. ·
CAUSE:
If the battery is not rinsed periodically, acid penetrates the seal between the cable
head and the insulation and begins to oxidize and corrode the copper
conductors. The cable gradually swells over time as the copper breaks down,
deteriorating the connection gradually until the battery no longer accepts a
charge. Examples of Battery Cable Corrosion: Swollen near
terminal, copper is replaced by blue corrosion.
Positive Plate Growth
– NOT REPAIRABLE:
The true sign that a battery has reached the end of its
useful life, and is in need of replacement. Typically begins to occur after 5
years. As batteries age, the positive plates begin to soften and expand in size.
This causes internal pressure inside the battery cells. Most manufacturers now use floating
bushings on the positive cell posts to allow for this gradual
expansion and reduce stress on the cells internal components. Eventually, as
the battery reaches the end of it’s normal useful
life, the internal pressure is great enough to push the positive posts well
beyond normal tolerances and can begin to distort the cell covers and vent wells. Positive plate growth is normal and should be
considered as a wear indicator. If your battery is no longer holding a charge
and shows signs of plate growth, it should be replaced, not
repaired. ·
Batteries can fail and be beyond
economical repair without showing noticeable signs of plate growth. However, plate growth is a sure, visible sign that
the battery is beyond economical repair. ·
Positive plate growth typically occurs after 5 years
or 1,500 cycles. If it occurs in less than 5 years, it is most likely due to
opportunity charging or over charging, which should be addressed when
replacing the battery. ·
This condition usually affects the Positive posts only, and
will give an uneven, slanted appearance when viewed from the side, looking
across the top of the battery. Examples of Positive Plate Growth:
·
SHORT
RUN TIME: Progressively shorter run times could be
caused by a malfunctioning battery OR charger. It is best to have both
checked if you begin to experience shortened run time or suspect a problem. ·
EQUALIZE
CHARGE: Industrial batteries must receive an
equalize charge at least once per month, or permanent damage will result.
Never equalize more than once every 5th charge cycle, or
damage will result. Reason: Selecting equalize mode on your
charger adds 3 additional hours of charge time to that charge cycle, ensuring
all of the cells reach 100% charge. Equalizing too
often or too little will shorten battery life. ·
WHEN TO
ADD WATER, AND HOW MUCH TO ADD: Water can be
added before or after charging. Add just enough water to cover the perforated
element protector (visible at the bottom of the vent well). ·
·
WHAT
KIND OF WATER TO USE: In general, normal city water will
suffice, but if you have any doubts about purity of the local water supply,
A) contact the GB battery supplier in your area B) get a chemical analysis of
the water C) use distilled water. ·
·
SPECIFIC GRAVITY (SPGR): See SPGR chart
below. ·
OVER DISCHARGING: Never over
discharge batteries. More is not necessarily
better when it comes to recharging batteries. Most battery manufacturers
warrant their batteries for up to 1,500 cycles of charge and discharge provided, among other things, that
the battery is never discharged beyond 80%. This normally
coincides with an eight-hour shift. Trucks fitted with extra equipment such
as clamps, high speed lifts, etc. will need a higher capacity battery to ensure the battery is
not discharged beyond 80%. Lift truck
interrupts are available to detect the correct discharge level and are recommended by
battery manufacturers as a means of ensuring batteries are not over discharged. The best way to ensure batteries
are not being overcharged is to periodically (once a
month) check the temperature of the center cell on a battery at the end of regular
charge. If the temperature of the electrolyte is more than
36° F above the ambient temperature, call your battery technician—
there is a problem. ·
AVOIDING SPARKS: Batteries produce
and store hydrogen gas, which is highly explosive. Never weld near a battery.
Never place metal objects on batteries. Such
objects can cause a short circuit between adjacent cells and result in possible injury to those
close to the battery. Similarly, people charged with caring for or operating
batteries should not wear any metal jewelry. ·
UNDER-SIZED CHARGERS: A charger that is
more the 100AH less than the your battery’s rated capacity.
Will result in an undercharged battery with significant reduction in
operating life. Your local GB vendor has all the information to ensure the
battery and chargers are precisely matched. ·
OVER-SIZED CHARGERS: A charger that is
over 100AH more than your battery’s rated capacity.
Can overcharge and overheat your battery, reducing the operating
life of your battery. ·
WHEN TO
REPLACE A BATTERY: Repair or replace batteries when capacity that has fallen below 80% of its
rated capacity. Continuing to operate a bad
battery can damage a truck's electric motor and electronics. Failing
batteries also require recharging more frequently, wasting hundreds or
thousands of dollars in energy per year, depending on the size of your fleet. ·
RECORD
KEEPING: We recommend that each forklift, battery
and charger in your fleet be given a unique number for easy identification
and tracking purposes. Keep regular records on the maintenance of batteries.
For instance, keep a log of ever time a battery is watered and equalize
charged, or at minimum, each time an operator complains of short run time and
whenever cells or cables are replaced. These records
will be invaluable when it comes to predicting when battery replacement will
be necessary. ·
FORMULAS:
Charger Model# Breakdown: Example, Model GB100-3-18-750 = GB brand, 100% rated, 3 phase, 18 cell (36 volt), 750AH (Ampere Hour). Battery Model# Breakdown:
Example, Model 18-125-13 = 18 cells (x2 = 36 volt), 125AH per plate, 13 negative plates. Calculating AH Capacity: Negative plates per cell – 1, / 2 x AH per plate = AH (Ampere Hour). Example, 18-125-13: 13 – 1 = 12, / 2 = 6 x 125 = 750AH Calculating KWH Capacity: AH x
Volts (2v per cell) = WH (Watt Hour) / 1000 x .97
(efficiency factor) = KWH (Kilo Watt Hour) Example, battery model 18-125-13, 36V / 750AH: 750 x 36
= 27,000 / 1000 = 27 x .97 = 26.19KWH. ·
STATE OF CHARGE: Typical
no-load voltages vs. state of charge:
Sample voltages are for a 12-volt / 6 cell battery system (figured at 10.5 volts =
fully discharged, and 77 degrees F). For a 24-volt
battery multiply by 2, for a 36-volt battery multiply by 3, 48-volt battery
multiply by 4. VPC is the volts per individual cell - if you measure more than a .2 volt
difference between each cell, you need to equalize, or the battery
is beginning to go bad, or it could be sulfated. These voltages are for
batteries that have been at rest for 3 hours or more. Batteries that are
being charged will be higher - the voltages while charging will not tell you
anything, you have to let the battery sit for approx. 3hrs. For longest life,
batteries should stay in the green zone. Occasional dips into the
yellow are not harmful, but continual discharges (or “cycles”) to those levels will shorten
battery life considerably. It is important to realize that voltage measurements
are only approximate. Note the large voltage drop in the last 10%.
Other Battery Questions and
Answers
How are batteries rated and what
do the ratings mean in battery selection? How does the Cold Cranking Amperage rating help me
select a battery? What does the Reserve Capacity rating mean and how does
it apply to deep cycle batteries? What is
the difference between deep cycle batteries and starting batteries? Does overcharging damage batteries? Does over discharging damage batteries? How can I evaluate the health and state of charge (SOC)
of a battery?
1) BATTERY RATINGS
Manufacturers
use different discharge periods to yield an different
Amp-Hr. Rating for the same capacity batteries, therefore, the Amp-Hr.
Rating has little significance unless qualified by the number of hours the
battery is discharged. For this reason Amp-Hour Ratings
are only a general method of evaluating a battery's capacity for selection purposes. The quality
of internal components and technical construction within the battery will
generate different desired characteristics without effecting its Amp-Hour
Rating. For instance, there are 150 Amp-Hour batteries that will not support
an electrical load overnight and if called upon to do so repetitively, will fail
early in their life. Conversely, there are 150 Amp-Hour batteries that will
operate an electrical load for several days before needing recharging and
will do so for years. The following ratings must be examined in order to
evaluate and select the proper battery for a specific application: COLD
CRANKING AMPERAGE and RESERVE CAPACITY are ratings used by the industry to
simplify battery selection. 2) COLD CRANKING AMPERAGE:
NOTE:
Do not confuse Cold Cranking Amperage (CCA) with Marine Cranking Amperage (MCA) or
Cranking Amperage (CA). MCA and CA is a higher battery rating measured at
warmer temperatures. 3) RESERVE CAPACITY
For
instance, GB uses thicker lead grids (the plate's skeletal structure) to support
additional positive plate oxides which are compressed into a
denser form in order to add battery reactive material for greater Reserve Capacity and Cycling Performance. In
addition, these plates are separated by indestructible separators. These mats hold the active
oxides tightly in place during the cubical plate expansion, which occurs during deep
discharging, instead of allowing the oxides to shed off and precipitate to
the bottom of the battery. Construction materials such as those raise the
Reserve Capacity of a battery and increase the
battery's Cycle Life. 4) CYCLE LIFE
5) DEEP CYCLE
BATTERIES
Deep cycle batteries can be used in any
application and exhibit a long service life, while cranking batteries are
limited to starting applications only. Cranking batteries exhibit poor
service life in cycling applications. 6) INCREASING CAPACITY THROUGH SERIES AND PARALLEL
CONNECTIONS
In
the PARALLEL CONNECTION, batteries of like voltages and capacities are
connected to increase the capacity of the bank. The positive terminals
of all batteries are connected together, or to a common conductor, and all
negative terminals are connected in the same manner. The final voltage
remains unchanged while the capacity of the bank is the sum of the
capacities of the individual batteries of this connection. Amp-Hours Cranking
Performance and Reserve Capacity increases while Voltage does not.
7) BATTERY MAINTENANCE
8) OVERDISCHARGING
CHARGING
Alternators and float battery chargers including regulated photo voltaic
chargers have automatic controls which taper the charge rate as the batteries
come up in charge. It should be noted that a decrease to a few amperes while charging does not mean that
the batteries have been fully charged. Battery chargers are of three types.
There is the manual type, the trickle type, and the automatic switcher
type. 9) BATTERY ELECTROCHEMISTRY EVALUATION
The following table illustrates typical specific gravity values for a cell in various stages of charge: 100% Charged = 1.285 - 1.290 Sp. Gr. 75% Charged = 1.240 - 1.245 Sp. Gr. 50% Charged = 1.195 - 1.200 Sp. Gr. 25% Charged = 1.150 - 1.155 Sp. Gr.0% Charged = 1.115 - 1.120 Sp. Gr. Temperature compensation of hydrometric
readings is usually unnecessary unless the battery is extremely hot or cold,
however, after hard charging or discharging, you may want to add or subtract
points of Specific Gravity based on the table. Do not apply hydrometer color-coding to readings taken
from deep cycle batteries. These red-white-green
markings are for "hot" automotive battery types. Also, hydrometer readings taken immediately after
water is added to a cell is inaccurate. The water must be
thoroughly mixed with the underlying electrolyte by charging, before hydrometer readings are reliable. In
addition, do not assume a deep cycle battery will not take a charge
because you have been charging it for a while and the float will not rise. If
the battery has been fully discharged or partially sulfated it will
require considerable charging or equalization before recovering. As electrolyte levels are reduced in the
battery, it is important to add water to each cell. Note that only the water portion of
the electrolyte evaporates, therefore, it is not necessary to add acid to a battery during maintenance. In
fact, the addition of acid to an active battery will reduce its capacity and shorten its remaining life.
Water should be added to cells after charging the battery. This will
eliminate spillage due to expansion of electrolyte upon charging. Generally
speaking, any water that is safe to drink is safe to use in a battery. Do not
use water of a known high mineral content or stored in metallic containers.
It is the metal impurities in the water that lower the performance of the
battery. Distilled water guarantees purity. If you suspect your charger fails to shut off or your battery
overheats for any reason, discontinue use immediately and call for service.
NOTICE: Pursuant to
the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, use of this unique copyright protected
intellectual property (US Copyright #1-3049808771, GB Battery), or any
derivation, variation, colorable imitation or any combination of the same in
any way, for purposes including but not limited to the advertising, promotion
and sale of products and services for private financial gain, commercial
advantage, or enhancement of a competing website, brochure or marketing media,
is an act of willful copyright infringement. Such
willful infringement provides for substantial financial penalties and
potential criminal prosecution. Remedies for such violations include not only
injunctive relief against the infringer, but also recovery of profits and
damages suffered by the copyright owner. 17 U.S.C.A. § 504. In
addition, such relief includes recovery of attorneys' fees and costs incurred
in connection with litigating the matter where infringement is willful. For
additional information on THE DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT OF 1998 visit:
http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf |
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