Top Benefits of Opportunity Charging Forklift Batteries

Opportunity charging can have a significant effect on your business’s workflow and efficiency. Learn more about the top benefits of opportunity charging forklift batteries and how it could work for you.

Use Time Efficiently

Opportunity charging happens during the operator’s scheduled breaks, such as at lunchtime or during shift changes. Rather than sitting idle during these inevitable breaks, the battery will typically charge up to 80 or 85 percent of its state of charge in just 30 minutes. While opportunity charging takes less than an hour, conventional charging takes eight or 12 hours, depending on the charger, and requires a cool-down period.

When deciding if you should opportunity charge forklift batteries, remember that you will need to charge the battery up to 100 percent once a week. But by taking advantage of small breaks in the work schedule, you efficiently use your time on the essential task of battery charging.

Improve Safety

Another benefit of opportunity charging forklift batteries is that this practice improves safety. Changing out batteries and conventional charging increases employee exposure to hazards.

Workers face battery acid, hydrogen gas, electrical shock, and the risk of heavy moving machinery in battery rooms. Operators will still have to avoid these hazards, but for the most part, opportunity charging limits exposure.

One significant consideration is that operators must monitor electrolyte levels. Low levels will cause elevated temperatures and can decrease the working lifespan of the battery and its energy capacity.

Use Fewer Batteries

In many cases, a single conventional charge cycle can’t give the battery enough power for two shifts. This limitation means that facilities that operate extended or double shifts need more than one battery per vehicle if they only do conventional charging.

With opportunity charging, one battery can work through two shifts. You save money on batteries, storage, and related supplies by minimizing the number of batteries your facility needs.

Opportunity charging can minimize the number of forklift batteries your facility requires. Consider how opportunity charging could change the workflow at your place of business.