lithium-ion batteries in industrial trucks

Advantages of lithium-ion technology

Depending on requirements and vehicle equipment, the use of Li-Ion technology can pay for itself after just a few years. The high purchase costs are offset by significantly longer operating times and significantly lower operating costs. In direct comparison to lead-acid batteries, Li-Ions are more powerful, safer, more durable and also maintenance-free.

Lithium-Ion: Overview

• Economic efficiency: Li-Ions ensure faster, more economical and more effective work due to short charging times and long battery usage times as well as low maintenance requirements.
• Fast loading times: The pallet truck is available again within a short time.
• Long service life: A lithium-ion battery has a service life 3 times longer than conventional batteries.
• User-friendly: The simple handling makes changing the battery easy, which can be done with just one movement and without additional tools.
• Low maintenance: Unlike lead-acid batteries, Li-Ion batteries do not lose battery fluid or suffer damage from standing, so they need to be replaced less often.
• Low dead weight: Lithium-ion pallet trucks have a significantly lower dead weight than conventional electric pallet trucks with lead batteries.

Industrial trucks with lithium-ion drives ensure faster, more economical and more efficient work. Since the batteries have a much longer service life than conventional energy storage devices and also have a particularly long endurance, they provide a high degree of investment security and energy cost savings. The energy density of the lithium-ion battery is around four times higher than that of lead batteries. This means that high driving performance and operating times of up to 6 hours are guaranteed, thus also saving the effort of changing batteries.

Thanks to its very high efficiency, up to 20 percent of energy can be saved and CO2 emissions reduced compared to lead-acid batteries. This means that almost all of the electricity that has been charged into a Li-ion battery can be taken out again.

In contrast to lead-acid batteries, Li-ion batteries have a two to three times longer service life, significantly shorter charging cycles and operating times of 6-8 hours. There is also the option of intermediate charging. This is actually desirable with lithium-ion batteries: unlike conventional batteries, the battery is not affected by rapid charging and the so-called memory effect is eliminated. This means that the number of charging cycles and the charge level are insignificant for the battery's durability. This means that breaks and downtimes can be used effectively and more flexibility can be created in everyday work. Just a few minutes are enough to make the industrial truck ready for permanent use again.

The advantage is that charging can be carried out at any 230 V socket using an external charging unit, meaning that no additional charging stations are required. The energy source is charged within three hours and the pallet truck is available again in full dynamic mode. A removable battery also enables multi-shift operation. The battery is installed in such a way that it is freely accessible and can therefore be replaced with just one movement and in the shortest possible time.

The lithium ion battery impresses with its very long service life. As a rule, it can be used for up to three times longer than lead-acid batteries and other conventional energy storage devices. The battery's closed design makes it resistant to dust, dirt or moisture.

Pallet trucks with a conventional lead-acid battery are more cost-effective to purchase than lithium-ion pallet trucks because the batteries are generally smaller and therefore less powerful than Li-ion batteries.

The technology significantly reduces handling and maintenance costs as well as charging times during operation and in storage. Li-ion batteries are maintenance-free and do not “give off gases”. While gases can develop in lead-acid batteries, this risk is eliminated with lithium-ion batteries. There is also no loss of battery fluid or damage from standing.

The maintenance-free design also serves to protect the operating personnel, as the risk of injury and contact with battery acids is eliminated. The batteries are manufactured with lithium iron phosphate, a safe cell chemistry. From an ecological point of view, they are considered non-toxic and harmless. For this reason, lithium-ion batteries are also suitable for particularly sensitive sectors, such as the pharmaceutical and food industries. In addition, no special loading areas with expensive extraction systems and floor coatings are required.

Structure and function of a Li-Ion battery

The battery consists of many individual cells that are coated with an aluminum and copper layer. Each of these cells contains a positive and a negative electrode. So that the battery's charge carriers, the lithium ions, can migrate in the cell, it is filled with an electrolyte that acts as a transport medium. To prevent a short circuit in the battery, the positive and negative poles are separated from each other by a separator. This layer is permeable to the tiny lithium ions.

When the battery is charged, the Li-ions migrate through the separator from the cathode into the graphite structure of the anode and settle there. When charging, a voltage is applied from the outside, which in turn creates an excess of electrons at the anode. The opposite is true when discharging: the anode releases electrons, which migrate through the external circuit to the cathode - that is, current flows.

See also

• pallet truck 1500kg with Li-Ion battery
• Lithium pallet truck as ECO
• electric pallet truck
• batteries for industrial trucks
• drive of pallet trucks