The lift truck drivers have been complaining that the electric lift trucks lack power and don’t run long enough. The problem has been affecting operations. Additionally, the central office wants electric trucks to comprise a larger portion of each plant’s lift truck fleet, so adding more LPG trucks is not an option.
The plant engineer reviewed the battery maintenance procedure and the actual practices. He found no problems. Figuring that deep cycling causes the batteries to age faster, he issued a work order to identify and replace the 25% that were the oldest. This had only a moderate effect, and now he wants you to solve the problem.
What’s the first step you should take?
Check how each specific battery is being charged. Lift truck batteries come in different voltages (e.g., 12V, 36V, 48V). If a 36V battery is being charged by a charger set for a 12V battery, it isn’t going to charge. If the charger is set for a 48V battery, the 36V battery will cook.
Measure the charging voltage(s) of each battery charger while charging. If you’re trying to charge a 12V battery and the charger is applying 15V, that battery will cook.
Examine each battery. Are the case and connections clean? Before taking a battery off its maintenance charge, connect a digital multimeter (DMM). Then, monitor the voltage for a few minutes after disconnecting from the charger. A fully charged 12V battery, for example, should read 12.6V.
