For decades lead-acid battery manufacturers have warned customers of the dangers of opportunity charging as over time this would damage batteries beyond repair, cutting short their life, invalidating any warranty, and resulting in costly replacements.
Today, evolving technology has enabled lead-acid batteries to become more flexible. New products can be opportunity charged during a shift to lengthen truck operational hours and in some cases, batteries can be charged in as little as an hour.
Traditionally, a lead-acid battery must be placed on charge after it has been discharged by 80% and would require 8 or 12 hours (dependent on the charger) to reach full charge capacity and be ready for use. This is still the case with standard products, however now there are a range of options available in the UK suitable for a variety of applications.
Midac UK offers lead-acid batteries and chargers that provide charging flexibility, low maintenance and longer life – in fact, many of the benefits attributed to lithium batteries.
Advanced battery cell chemistry, lower current resistance, intelligent chargers and monitoring systems, all work together to control battery temperature and gassing, which has revolutionised the lead-acid battery industry. This technology has improved product efficiency, and batteries require less kw/h to charge, reducing energy costs and lowering CO2 emissions by as much as 50%. Some systems also offer lower maintenance and only require water after 60 charging cycles – so this can reduce battery topping up to quarterly intervals, saving valuable time.
Depending on the application, manufacturers can offer extended warranties of up to 1800 cycles, which for a standard 5-day operation, equates to 7 years.
Rebecca Smith, Business and Finance Director of Midac UK, comments “Developing technology is bridging the gap between standard lead-acid and lithium batteries, giving customers greater choice when considering truck and battery purchases. We have a growing portfolio of customers from small businesses to large global retailers, who are seeing the wide-reaching benefits of our new products.”
Rebecca adds “Cleaner electric trucks, with efficient battery systems are saving operational time and reducing costs, however it is important we understand customer requirements before recommending new products. At Midac UK, we provide a consultative approach, visiting customer sites to analyse their operations and to advise which battery system is the most suitable.”
Midac offer high efficiency (MHE) and low maintenance (MLM) lead-acid batteries in addition to their standard lead-acid, Force blocks and lithium motive power ranges.
For more information contact salesuk@midacbatteries.com.
Comments are closed.