Battery drop testers

[zzr1200]

As mentioned above a good independent battery tech is a very useful person to know, we used to have a couple guys who always worked together and my dad would have them come round regular to test battery packs, it was like a service routine really as there isn't much else to service on a milk float and we had a fleet* of them.



* If you had asked me in the 1970's whether or not all electric vehicles would work on UK roads I would have been able to answer this "modern" question then!

Our local Unigate milk depot had a 109" Land Rover as a service vehicle, for just those times.....

 

[knighty]

Do you have a decent dumpb 24v charger?

Put that on half the cella, put it on boost so its putting in about 10amps to bubble the cells and, leave it for a week then do the other half

Coukd use 12v charger and do 1/4 at a time, or a bench top power supply

A good bubbling does he world of good to lead acid cells = obviously make sure they don't run out of water

Saved my spare truck battery like that, its still good 4 years on, new battery would be more than the truck is worth


(Volt check each cell before you start naje sure you dont have one totally dead cell)

 

[fizzy]

I haven't checked the cells in a while. Never once had to put water in them bit perhaps the so called intelligent charger has boiled them. Will re check everything today.

 

[Robotstar5]

Last place I was at had loads of FLT's, tugs and flatbeds running 24/5 so they found it cost effective to install automated charging machines in each building. You turned up and the "battery man" would scan the barcode on your truck before lifting the battery and putting it on a conveyor where it trundled off to a free charging bay, meanwhile a freshly charged battery would appear on another conveyor ready to load onto your truck.

 

[fizzy]

Last place I was at had loads of FLT's, tugs and flatbeds running 24/5 so they found it cost effective to install automated charging machines in each building. You turned up and the "battery man" would scan the barcode on your truck before lifting the battery and putting it on a conveyor where it trundled off to a free charging bay, meanwhile a freshly charged battery would appear on another conveyor ready to load onto your truck.

Most of the pallet hubs used to use gas. They even had their own mains gas connection to recharge them. Handling 20,000 pallets a night takes some doing. 80 forklifts whizzing around it looks like ballroom dancing.

 

[Robotstar5]

Then we would get drivers trying to finish quicker by stacking 3 high instead of 2

Clearing the aftermath....

 

[fizzy]

Off to buy some more de ionised water. As I suspected the proper charger has boiled the cells. I might be lucky yet. Added about 750ml to each cell until I ran out. Could have been worse.

 

[zzr1200]

Off to buy some more de ionised water. As I suspected the proper charger has boiled the cells. I might be lucky yet. Added about 750ml to each cell until I ran out. Could have been worse.

I once added 20 gallon to one forklift battery, but it was an 80 volt battery for a 8000 lbs capacity truck....Lansing Bagnall FOER 9....

 

[m_c]

I thought it was pretty normal for forklift battery chargers to boil the cells as part of the charging cycle, and for the batteries to need regular top ups?

 

[zzr1200]

I thought it was pretty normal for forklift battery chargers to boil the cells as part of the charging cycle, and for the batteries to need regular top ups?

Normal Charge Cycle:- Yes (normal and degassing charging cycle)
Equalising Charge:- Yes (when necessary)
Topping up:- Yes (as required for lead/acid cell batteries)
Boiling:- No (charger requires adjustment/repairs)

 

[GRW]

@fizzy . I used to deal with guys who traded as Richmand Engineering or Richmand Batteries (memory sucks).
Local area guys, specialise in battery packs for fork trucks & their mtce.
I dealt with them for years, as we used them for some of the off-grid system packs, and they were always decent fair & honest, and prices were good also.

If you are interested & can't track them down I can contact an old colleague & get their contact info.

 

[zzr1200]

Normal Charge Cycle:- Yes (normal and degassing charging cycle)
Equalising Charge:- Yes (when necessary)
Topping up:- Yes (as required for lead/acid cell batteries)
Boiling:- No (charger requires adjustment/repairs)*

PS:- *Or the battery has faulty cells

 

[fizzy]

@fizzy . I used to deal with guys who traded as Richmand Engineering or Richmand Batteries (memory sucks).
Local area guys, specialise in battery packs for fork trucks & their mtce.
I dealt with them for years, as we used them for some of the off-grid system packs, and they were always decent fair & honest, and prices were good also.

If you are interested & can't track them down I can contact an old colleague & get their contact info.

What part of the country?

 

[zzr1200]

What part of the country?

http://www.richmondengineering.co.uk/ ??????...........

 

[Melvyn Best]

There was at one time a company in Cambridge that would replace faulty battery cells, often while you waited. This was in the days when batteries had an exposed connection between the cells. I don’t suppose there’s many companies offering that service?

 

[GRW]

What part of the country?

Pretty close to you if Swansea. I can't recall their base for certain... think it was a bit nearer Cardiff

 

[zzr1200]

There was at one time a company in Cambridge that would replace faulty battery cells, often while you waited. This was in the days when batteries had an exposed connection between the cells. I don’t suppose there’s many companies offering that service?

More than you would think really, multiple single cell batteries are generally large traction or large standby batteries.
It's just a specialised market, with the likes of Chloride/Exide Batteries closing factories in the UK and laying off their service engineers, plus with the event of 3 phase hybred battery powered forklift, serviced by appointed agents as apposed to manufacturers.

 

[GRW]

http://www.richmondengineering.co.uk/ ??????...........

Richmand Services (with an a). Think they are Newport based

 

[fizzy]

Pretty close to you if Swansea. I can't recall their base for certain... think it was a bit nearer Cardiff

Richmand Services, Newport | Battery Suppliers - Yell https://share.google/ONuAXBQyWx65yZzFt

I suspect it is these people. No website. Number live will call tomorrow

 

[Robotstar5]

There was at one time a company in Cambridge that would replace faulty battery cells, often while you waited. This was in the days when batteries had an exposed connection between the cells. I don’t suppose there’s many companies offering that service?

I've watched them put a mould between the adjacent cell terminals then melt lead into it to connect them.