Buying Batteries for Forklift Trucks
Buying a battery for a forklift truck requires knowing the specifications for providing the corrrect power for the vehicle and the meeting the minimum battery weight requirement for vehicle capacity and stability.
For forklift trucks, the battery serves two purposes; it provides power and it is part of the counter weighting of the vehicle. Lead-acid batteries are very heavy and the truck manufacturers have taken the battery weight into consideration in their design of the vehicle.
Your truck's capacity rating nameplate will show the battery voltage requirement and also the minimum battery weight requirement.
In order to buy the correct battery for your forklift truck, we will need to know the following information:
- Battery voltage requirement
- Physical dimensions of the battery compartment of the truck
- Whether or not the battery requires a cover
- The position or location on the battery tray where the cables are placed
- The length of battery cables
- The type of battery connector
- The minimum battery weight requirement
- The construction type of the battery - either standard construction or specialized safety construction that may be required if the truck is used in a Classified Hazardous Environment where there may be a hazard of fire or explosion.
Call John Jordan at 216-587-0400 or e-mail to johnj@neonmaterialhandling.com for assistance.
Measure the size of the battery compartment, measuring the distance between the side retainment plates and the distance between the front and rear battery compartment walls.
The minimum battery weight requirement is shown on the capacity rating nameplate of the truck.
The battery must meet the minimum battery weight requirement shown on your truck's capacity rating nameplate in order for the capacity rating(s) to be valid and in order for the truck's stability to conform to ANSI B56.1 test standards.
In some cases, 72-volt electric trucks use two 36-volt batteries mounted side-by-side in the battery compartment.