Normally, electric lift trucks are the best option for indoor use in manufacturing and warehousing operations for 2 main reasons: First off they produce zero emissions. This is a really vital factor to take into consideration for indoor work places. Among the IC or internal combustion units, only the propane-fueled models can be used inside and these units still require really good ventilation. Diesel and gas powered units are not able to be utilized inside under any circumstances.
The primary benefit of electric lift trucks is fuel costs. Compared to internal combustion or IC units, these have lower expenses per hour. Amongst the main drawbacks to using the electric forklifts is their higher initial cost. Brand new electric lift trucks can range from 20% to 40% more than IC units that are similarly rated.
On the other hand, electric forklifts provide many advantages including quiet operation. This is a huge plus for indoor applications. In addition, no requirement for fuel storage mean no room needs to be allotted for tanks of fuels that are both flammable and dangerous. Since electric forklifts have less parts that move than IC units, and they are usually utilized within cleaner settings and indoors, they tend to have a longer lifespan overall.
The battery downtime is the biggest downside of an electric lift truck. These models function with heavy, big, lead-acid batteries, like those found in your automobile. These batteries are very big and really powerful. Typically, batteries provide enough power for one standard 8-hour shift, and this means 5 or 6 hours of nonstop utilization.
Charging a forklift battery will take approximately 8 hours. An extra 8 hours of cooling time is required before it can be utilized after the charging process is done. Due to this long method of extra cooling time and slow charging speed, if you need forklifts for 2 or 3 shift operations, you must purchase extra batteries so you could always be charging the next battery. These extra batteries will add roughly $1000 to $2000 to the acquisition price.
There are a few new fast charge electric lift trucks available on the market. These specialized batteries have changed the electric forklift industry. Their charging could be completed in the course of lunch and coffee breaks, allowing them to get back to work a lot faster.