For the first time in today's market, Electric lift trucks are approximately 65% of all lift trucks manufactured. We all know material handling equipment is essential to any warehouse operation, and the batteries/chargers you rely on to keep them fully functioning are just as important. That’s why choosing the right batteries/chargers with features and capabilities that are aligned to meet your warehouse’s unique needs is as vital as the lift truck itself.
Southern States Enterprises is dedicated to equipping your warehouse with the tools needed to keep operations running safely and efficiently by providing best-in-class industrial batteries and chargers. Recently, we helped a large beverage manufacturing and distribution facility determine which forklifts, batteries, and chargers they should use to meet the needs of their new facility. Keep reading to find out what solutions they chose!
The Client’s Challenge
A large, U.S.-based beverage manufacturer/distributor was expanding distribution in the Southeast. They built a 200,000+ square foot facility to help improve customer service initiatives and handle increased market share. They needed to equip this new space with state of the art materials handling to optimize throughput, efficiency, and employee satisfaction.
The client needed help deciding between using electric or Internal Combustion (IC) forklifts in their new facility. The operation would run three shifts between receiving and put-away/shipping. Management wanted to avoid the excessive costs of fossil fuels and the need for operators to lift heavy tanks of LPG fuel, which can cause fumes to spread throughout the warehouse. They also wanted to avoid the need for frequent battery changing, which results in increased downtime and lost revenue.
SSE's Solution
After a thorough analysis of the new facility and its needs, it was decided to implement a fleet of 80-volt electric, solid rubber cushion tire lift trucks in the client’s new facility. The trucks ranged from 6,000-8,000 pounds of base capacity and came equipped with WMS scanners.
Hawker 80-volt WATER LESS® batteries were selected as the power source for this demanding application, which require watering maintenance only four times per year. They will also maintain their warranty status for four years if charged on a Hawker Charger and equipped with Hawker’s BBWC, or Battery Boss Wireless Controller (a device that allows the charger to read the state of the battery and supply only the charge that is needed to avoid pushing excessive current into the battery and generating unnecessary heat and wear).
Hawker Life-Plus Opportunity Chargers were chosen to keep these batteries operating at their best. The Life-Plus Charger is a true opportunity charger in that the ‘Start Rate’ is rated at 25% of the battery’s capacity—compared to ‘True FAST’ charge which starts at 50%. In addition, they are designed to charge the battery on breaks and lunch hour. This method of charging gives the battery enough incremental power to complete the shift. Then, during the evening, the battery can be put on the charger long enough to fully recharge to start the cycle over again the next day. Equalizing then only needs to be done once per week.
Life-Plus chargers have a ‘modular’ design that includes redundancy as the primary benefit: if one module fails, the others can still continue operating. This continues the charge cycle at an abbreviated rate until the charger can be repaired. Therefore, a ‘Down Charger’ will rarely (if ever) occur. Other features of Hawker Life-Plus chargers include a highly energy efficient/conversion factor, plug-and-play flexibility, and advanced data management with Hawker’s exclusive Net Battery Management System.
Where are They Now?
Today, operations at the new client’s facility are underway! Trucks have been operational for several months, and operators are acclimating quickly to the new lifts. In particular, they like the lack of exhaust fumes in their faces while running their lifts in reverse, a very difficult occurrence when operating IC forklifts.
Management likes the fact there are virtually NO rubber tire marks on the floor from spinning forklift tires, making for a cleaner and more visually-appealing workplace. Plus, there is no heat coming out of exhaust pipes, little to no tire dust on pallets going out to customers, and not a lot of noise coming from the electric lifts. All of these aspects make for a more pleasant, comfortable environment for everyone working in the facility.
Is Your Business Looking for Enhanced Forklift, Battery, and Battery Charger Solutions?
At Southern States Enterprises, we offer a wide variety of motive power products as well as installation, preventative maintenance, and repair services.
We’re proud to partner with Hawker Power Source, the world’s largest industrial battery brand. Hawker products are built in the USA and designed to work with each other to create a seamless interface even in the most challenging applications. These products have created the standard by which most others in the motive power arena are measured against.
Are you ready to experience this unmatched level of performance and reliability in your warehouse? Reach out to one of our experts today to uncover what Hawker products are right for your warehouse and how we can help you implement them today!
