Feature Lift trucks The right oil keeps chains moving
Recent tests undertaken by leading leaf chain manufacturer FB Chain has demonstrated that the right choice of lubricant will have a dramatic impact on the performance of a forklift truck chain, as the company’s MD, Peter Church explains
ecause a forklift truck’s chain is classed as a ‘wear’ item, the cost of replacing a worn or damaged one is unlikely to be covered as part of a lift truck contract mainte- nance package. However, there are steps that a truck user can take to ensure that the chain – which, of course, controls the critical mast lifting and lowering functions – continues to perform at its peak for the longest possible time.
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Peter Church, managing director, FB Chain
Regular lubrication
For example, it is particularly impor- tant that chains are lubricated at regu- lar intervals: the life of an adequately lubricated chain is some 60 times greater than that of a dry-running chain and even temporary dry-running will shorten a chain’s working life con- siderably.
But picking the correct lubricant for leaf chain can make a big difference to a chain’s performance. However, this is not as straightforward as perhaps it should be – largely because most chain lubricants currently used are actually designed for transmission or motorcy- cle applications.
Not washed off Because it’s a fact of life that few forklift operators take the trouble to re-oil the chain regularly enough to achieve the chain’s optimum life, it is important to use a lubricant that is not easily washed off – especially if the forklift is working outside, has to be washed down regu- larly or operates in and out of a cold store or other environment where con- densation build-up can be a problem. In another test, FB Chain applied the same three lubricants that were used in the wear test to three identical lengths of our own leaf chain, before rinsing the chains with water for one
FB Chain recently undertook a series of tests that graphically illustrate the impact that lubricant has on a forklift truck chain’s lifecycle. Three identical lengths of chain – all manufactured by FB Chain – where coated with three brands of commonly used chain lubri- cant. The chains were loaded to close to their maximum working load and repeatedly raised and lowered to simu- late the action of a forklift truck mast. The first sample seized and would no longer articulate at 40,000 cycles. It was a further 80,000 cycles before the next sample seized and, at the end of the test, the best performing chain oil had outlasted the worst by nearly four times the number of cycles.
minute then putting them through a salt spray test, where a hot salt water mist was blown over them at regular intervals. The purpose of rinsing the chain with water beforehand was to simulate normal usage when a chain is used in outdoor applications or cold stores. This process allowed us to assess corrosion resistance without having to leave the chain outside for months or even years on end. Interestingly, the oil that had been the second best performer in the wear test did not come out of the corrosion test at all well. The oil proved to have a low viscosity level, which helps the oil to penetrate between the chain’s pins and plates, but allows it to be easily removed when washed. This resulted in the chain showing drastic signs of corrosion after a mere 15 hours in the salt spray booth. For equipment working outside, this par- ticular brand of oil would not stay in place long enough to perform its main function of lubricating the chain. I am pleased to say that of the three oils tested, one clearly offered the best performance in both the corrosion and wear tests and this is the brand that is applied to our leaf chain when it leaves our factory.
FB Chain
www.fbchain.com
T: 01462 670844 Enter 350
Latest charging technology reduces risk, costs and emissions A
s a leader in battery charging solutions, Benning was one of the first companies to introduce the now well known High Frequency technology into the MHE market, using the existing technology from its telecoms business. High
Frequency battery chargers today account for around 70 per cent of the market, and this is increasing year on year, driven by the needs of end users for high efficiency and lower carbon footprint. However, High Frequency technology is also known for its poor reliability, and industry figures show that up to 33 per cent of HF chargers fail within three years. Why is there such a high failure rate? HF chargers require forced air through fans in order to keep the charger cool, and this air is blown over the delicate electrical components. Just like televisions of the past, the main board attracts all the airborne dust. This dust, even in the cleanest environments will contain conductive dust or corrosive acidic particles from the battery, and so the effect is PCB failure. Of course, the effect of this is clear. Truck down time and unhappy customers. It will generally then be a service call to the truck supplier, generating the cost of an engineers time and then additional service visits and cost by the charger manufacturer or supplier before a resolution. Quite a costly and time consuming process. After two years in development, Benning launched its new HF charger at IMHX in November last year. With new technology, Benning is producing a product with a 10 year design life, with the result being significant reduction in truck downtime and cost. The critical point is that Benning has eliminated the PCB failure due to conductive air and so increased the reliability of HF technology. Coupled with its reliability in HF technology, the Belatron charger is also a very efficient product with up to 95 per cent efficiency along with carbon footprint and maintenance reductions. The battery temperature is kept low with the use of pulse characteristic during the gassing phase, and so charging times are significantly reduced. All these benefits are essential to ensure whole life costs are minimised. Benning Power Electronics
T: 0118 9731506 S6
www.benninguk.com Enter 351 MAY 2011 Materials Handling & Logistics
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