Knowledge (of Power) is Power
With today’s fuel prices, many of us are being much more thoughtful about how much fuel we use and how we use it. If you’re responsible for managing a warehouse or fleet of electric forklifts, when is the last time you asked similar questions about your electric power? Do you measure how much power is used to charge your forklift batteries? Do you know how much of that power is used throughout the day? And do you know which parts of your operation are using more or less power?
Often, these questions are put to the side in electric forklift applications and the information is ignored until there’s a problem. You might not know how much power you’re using, but you do know that your forklift batteries aren’t making it through an entire shift. You might not realize how much time you are losing to recharging or swapping batteries, but you do know that your overall runtime isn’t where you’d like it to be. When these issues arise, it’s time to consider the sometimes complex intricacies of your operation’s power usage.
Power usage is typically affected by three things, your application and the functions it includes, the equipment you’ve selected and assigned to these functions and the process your team follows to maintain your equipment, including your forklifts batteries and chargers. While many would immediately focus on the efficiency of the equipment itself, it’s possible that small changes in the application or a stronger commitment to properly maintaining the equipment can have a significant impact on power usage, uptime and productivity. Consequently, it’s important to understand each of these three areas when considering a power solution.
Crown’s V-Force® Energy Solutions includes a wide range of lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, chargers and power accessories. There are what seem to be limitless combinations of products that can be mixed and matched to fit an application’s requirements. But, as we’ve said, the equipment is only part of the solution and there’s important work to be done before anyone mentions performance specs and equipment cost.
That’s why the first step to understanding how to address any power problem is to conduct a power study. Our Energy Solutions team is trained and experienced in gathering information regarding the equipment you’re using today, how you are using it and how it is serviced and maintained. We look beyond just the batteries and chargers and apply our experience with the lift trucks themselves and how they consume power.
During a power study, we capture data during live operations to understand how all of these factors come into play in your specific application. We analyze the data to help determine if the right equipment is being used for each job. We look at charging habits, comparing what you think you are doing with what is actually happening. And, we review your maintenance processes to ensure that you’re doing everything you can to extend the life of your power resources.
When the power study is complete, we will provide recommendations, but they’ll go far beyond what products you should buy. We may also recommend changes in equipment assignments, charging profiles and habits, and maintenance routines that also affect your power usage. Because, no matter what equipment you choose, it’s our job to make certain that it delivers on your objectives, generates ROI and creates new efficiencies that you’ve never experienced before.
What do you know about your electric forklifts’ power usage? Maybe it’s time to consider a power study from our Energy Solutions team. After all, knowledge is power, even where power is concerned.
Click here to learn more about the power study process.