Feature Batteries & Chargers Providing 360 degree vision
White goods home delivery company, Expert Logistics, has selected advanced Hawker batteries, chargers and management systems from EnerSys for the lift trucks at its new national distribution centre in Crewe
Left: EnerSys proposed its Hawker Perfect Plus range of
advanced batteries to Expert Logistics, a white goods home delivery company
which results in reduced energy con- sumption and lower carbon footprint. They automatically detect the battery’s level of discharge and only supply the amount of power needed to restore full charge, shutting down afterwards. This further reduces the mains power required, leading to additional savings in electricity costs.
“We were looking for a long term com- mitment from a supplier that could work with us and our established lift truck partner to support our new oper- ation and predicted growth plans. EnerSys delivered a set of products that offered us a complete solution.” Sustained growth from Expert Logistics led the company to assess its warehousing provision and consoli- date multiple sites into ProLogis 360, a 360,000ft2
C (33,445m2 ) facility in Crewe
which opened in February 2012. The company anticipates that the advanced facilities will support its growth plans well into the future. The previous distribution centre used gas powered counterbalance trucks but these were impractical for the new operation. Instead the com- pany wanted to introduce clean and efficient electric powered equipment. Working with its long standing partner Toyota, the company specified a fleet comprising 22 counterbalance trucks with 1.0, 2.0 and 2.5 tonne capacities. These are equipped with clamps to handle single and multiple items around the warehouse including the substantial block stacking area for fast moving lines such as fridges, washing machines and cookers. In addition, eight Toyota VNA clamp trucks operate in the 22 very narrow aisles with 33,000 locations reserved for slower selling items. The warehouse operates around the clock and the application is demanding
24
hris Adamson, project manager at Expert Logistics who was responsible for commissioning the new facility, commented,
which meant the choice of batteries was critical.
Batteries on trial
The site is large and a key considera- tion was to ensure the batteries pro- vided enough power to support shift long performance. A trial carried out with a truck using a conventional bat- tery was successful but the partners recognised that more powerful batter- ies would be better for the arduous workloads they expected.
EnerSys proposed its Hawker Perfect Plus range of advanced batter- ies which incorporate the Hawker Electrolyte Circulation System. This introduces an airflow into the battery which dissipates heat and moves the electrolyte continuously during charg- ing so that it maintains a uniform spe- cific gravity. The plates inside the battery are consequently charged more evenly and efficiently with no need for over charging which would lead to increased gassing. This improved effi- ciency and presence of the airflow helps to reduce battery temperatures by as much as 10°C. Charging times can be up to 30% shorter and energy consumption is reduced by up to 20% compared with conventional batteries. Minimised gassing and less sludging help to reduce water consumption by up to 70% which means topping up is required less often.
Battery charging is optimised using the latest generation Hawker LifeIQ high frequency chargers. These are fully programmable and offer improved efficiency and lower charg- ing factor than conventional models
The batteries were supplied as a pool which effectively provides two units for each truck. Charging and changing is overseen by the advanced Hawker bat- tery management system which com- municates in real time with the chargers to manage the entire process. Batteries can only be used when they are fully charged while the systematic rotation across the pool ensures balanced utilisa- tion over time for life long performance and reliability. A screen at the end of the charging area clearly indicates the next battery to be retrieved for each type of truck. An alarm sounds if an operator disconnects the wrong battery from its charger. This overcomes the potential problem of operators simply taking the nearest available battery, regardless of its true state of charge.
Management and training The battery management system pro- vides a wide range of information that the warehouse team uses to assess per- formance. The trucks have also been fitted with tracking technology which allows the management team to under- stand truck operations with even more clarity. During the first few months of operation the system helped the ware- house management team to identify operational issues which they were then able to rectify before this impacted on the long term well being of the batteries.
EnerSys provided battery training to members of the 300 plus warehouse team in conjunction with the on-site RTITB trainer. Toyota is responsible for all truck maintenance including topping up. The service engineer calls every morning to complete routine checks. One of the many advantages of the Perfect Plus batteries with the elec- trolyte circulation is that topping up is required much less frequently than with conventional batteries. The more efficient use of the batteries and the optimised charging regime should ensure prolonged performance with lower overall maintenance require- ments and costs.
EnerSys Motive Power
www.enersys-hawker.com T: 0161 727 3800
Enter 216 JULY/AUGUST 2013 Electrical Engineering
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