Fronius develops battery charging systems for Linde Material Handling’s lithium-ion forklift trucks

Fronius develops battery charging systems for Linde Material Handling’s lithium-ion forklift trucks A high-performance alternative to lead batteries Wels, 28/03/2017 – Fronius Perfect Charging, the specialist in innovative battery charging technology for intralogistics, has developed a series of battery charging systems for the forklift truck manufacturer Linde Material Handling that are specially designed for use with lithium-ion batteries. Users can purchase the new devices as part of a complete system, which also consists of one of five Linde forklift truck models with a Li-ion battery. With lithium-ion technology, fleet operators benefit from a higher energy density and efficiency level compared to lead batteries and they can carry out opportunity charging at any time. This extends deployment times and makes the forklift trucks far less dependent on the energy supply. The Fronius battery charging systems are available in the 9 kW and 18 kW power categories – the appropriate category depends on the capacity of the battery used. Linde offers five different counterbalance trucks with load capacities of between 1.4 and 1.8 tonnes, equipped with lithium-ion batteries from 13.1 to 45.7 kWh. The charging time can be reduced to as little as 50 minutes, depending on the strength of the charger and the size of the battery – for lead-acid batteries, this is normally between seven and eight hours. Furthermore, opportunity charging is possible at any time without damaging the battery. For forklift truck operators, this means significant time savings and increased availability of the fleet. The forklift, battery and battery charging system form a perfectly harmonised, closed system with CAN bus communication. Numerous parameters, such as the temperature and state of charge of the battery, and the remaining driving time, are constantly monitored and shown on the driver’s display. The constant communication between the battery and forklift truck ensures reliable adherence to critical safety limits. For instance, if the charge rate falls below a defined value, the performance requirements of the vehicle are constantly adapted to the remaining power of the battery. This prevents the deep discharge of the battery and any resulting damage. The Fronius devices facilitate especially energy-efficient charging and thanks to their compact dimensions, they can be installed anywhere with ease and without taking up much space. In contrast to lead batteries, in many countries special charging rooms are not a legal requirement, as the charging process does not produce any gases, meaning the forklift trucks can be charged at any time, anywhere. The maintenance activities required of lead batteries, such as cleaning the batteries and filling them up with water, are a thing of the past with the lithium-ion solution. Opportunity charging can also be performed quickly and flexibly during breaks. The display and an optionally available LED strip on the battery charging system show the user the state of charge of the connected battery at a glance. Fronius offers an extensive range of accessories for special applications, for example an air filter that protects the delicate electronics from contaminants in dirty environments. Wall brackets and charging modules that can be fitted individually help the user to create secure, user-friendly and standards-compliant charging stations. For mobile applications, a robust transport box is available to avoid damage to the chargers. This is ideal for forklift truck dealers’ test or rental vehicles. The battery charging technology is extremely easy to operate via the device’s clear display and the charging plug supplied, which is connected using a flap at the rear of the forklift truck. The Linde system is also CE-certified and exceptionally durable: Linde guarantees the user 2,500 full charging cycles and a remaining residual capacity of at least 80 percent. The first test customers are already delighted with the consistent performance during use. Time-consuming battery maintenance, including re-filling with water, is no longer necessary. The lithium-ion system from Linde and Fronius provides an attractive, high-performance alternative to forklift trucks with lead-acid batteries.