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In the modern logistics and warehousing industry, forklifts have become indispensable important equipment due to their efficient cargo handling capabilities. As the "heart" of electric forklifts, the performance and lifespan of lead-acid batteries have a profound impact on the forklift's working efficiency, operating costs, and even the economic benefits of the enterprise. However, in the actual usage process, due to reasons such as insufficient awareness of the operators and improper maintenance, many errors often occur, which not only reduce the battery performance but also significantly shorten its service life. This article will systematically sort out the common mistakes made in the use of lead-acid batteries in forklifts and provide practical and feasible avoidance methods, providing a strong guarantee for the efficient and safe operation of forklifts.

1. Excessive discharge

Error manifestation

Some operators do not pay attention to the battery power status of forklifts during operation until the forklift is exhausted and unable to move. Excessive discharge of lead-acid batteries is an extremely common and highly harmful mistake. When a battery is over-discharged, the active substances on the internal plates will fall off at an accelerated rate, causing a rapid decline in battery capacity and an increase in internal resistance. In severe cases, it may even lead to sulfation of the plates, preventing the battery from charging and discharging normally and significantly shortening its service life.

Avoidance methods

To prevent excessive discharge, forklifts should be equipped with battery power display devices to provide real-time and clear feedback on the battery power status to the operators. At the same time, strict usage norms should be established. When the battery level remains at around 20% to 30%, the forklift should be stopped from use and charged promptly. Do not wait until the battery is completely drained. In addition, the awareness of operators can be enhanced through training, enabling them to fully understand the hazards of excessive discharge and develop the good habit of timely charging.

2. Improper charging

Error manifestation

There are various non-standard operations in the charging process. For instance, using a charger that does not match the specifications of the battery may result in either too large or too small a charging current, affecting the charging effect. If the charging time is too long or too short, it will cause the battery to heat up and lose water, accelerating its aging. If it is too short, it will not be fully charged, affecting the forklift's endurance. Frequent shallow charging and discharging, that is, each charge and discharge not reaching the appropriate depth, will prevent the active substances on the battery plates from being fully utilized and activated, thereby reducing the battery's performance.

Avoidance methods

First of all, it is essential to use a dedicated charger that exactly matches the battery specifications to ensure that parameters such as charging voltage and current meet the requirements. Secondly, strictly control the charging time in accordance with the battery's user manual. Generally, stop charging in time after the battery is fully charged to avoid overcharging. At the same time, try to avoid frequent shallow charging and discharging. When conditions permit, let the battery perform regular deep charging and discharging, which is helpful to activate the active substances on the plates and extend the battery life. In addition, an intelligent charging management system can be equipped for charging devices to automatically monitor the charging status. When the best charging effect is achieved, it will automatically stop charging to ensure the safety and efficiency of the charging process.

3. Neglecting the maintenance of the electrolyte

Error manifestation

Many users believe that lead-acid batteries do not need to pay too much attention to the electrolyte during use. This idea is wrong. During the charging and discharging process of the battery, the water in the electrolyte will continuously evaporate, causing the liquid level to drop. If distilled water or dedicated lead-acid battery replenishment fluid is not replenished in time, the plates will be exposed to the air, causing sulfation and oxidation of the plates, which will seriously affect the battery performance. In addition, some users mistakenly add tap water or other unsuitable liquids to the battery. The impurities in tap water will have a chemical reaction with the electrolyte, contaminating it and reducing the battery's service life.

Avoidance methods

Regularly check the liquid level height of the electrolyte. It is generally recommended to do so at least once a week. When the liquid level is found to be below the minimum scale line, distilled water or special supplementary liquid should be added in time to keep the liquid level within the specified scale range. When adding liquid, be careful to add it slowly to avoid overflow. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the distilled water or supplementary liquid used meets the requirements of lead-acid batteries, is of qualified quality, and avoid using liquids containing impurities. In addition, some additives with protective functions can be added to the electrolyte to slow down the evaporation of water and the aging speed of the plates to a certain extent.

4. Poor charging environment

Error manifestation

Some enterprises or operators do not pay enough attention to the charging environment and place the batteries in poorly ventilated, damp, high-temperature or flammable and explosive gas environments for charging. Poor ventilation can prevent harmful gases such as hydrogen produced during the charging process from being discharged in time, causing them to accumulate in the charging area and posing a safety hazard of explosion. A humid environment can easily cause the battery casing and connecting wires to get damp, leading to faults such as short circuits. High-temperature environments can accelerate the chemical reactions inside batteries, causing intensified battery heating and accelerated battery aging. Charging in an environment with flammable and explosive gases can easily cause an explosion accident once a spark is encountered.

Avoidance methods

A dedicated charging area should be set up for the battery, which should have good ventilation conditions. Ventilation equipment such as exhaust fans can be installed to promptly remove the harmful gases produced during the charging process. At the same time, it is necessary to keep the charging environment dry and prevent rainwater, moist air, etc. from entering the charging area. The temperature in the charging area should be controlled within an appropriate range, generally recommended to be between 20℃ and 30℃. The temperature can be regulated by installing air conditioners and other equipment. In addition, the charging area should be far away from flammable and explosive items, strictly prohibit fire and smoking, set up obvious safety warning signs, and be equipped with necessary fire-fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers to ensure the safety of the charging process.

5. Unbalanced use of battery packs

Error manifestation

When using a battery pack composed of multiple individual cells, due to the performance differences among each individual cell, if they are not used and managed in a balanced manner, it will lead to excessive charging and discharging of some individual cells while others are undercharged and discharged. If this continues for a long time, it will further increase the performance differences among individual cells in the battery pack, and both the capacity and service life of the entire battery pack will be severely affected. For instance, in a series battery pack, if the capacity of a certain individual battery is relatively low, it will be fully charged first during charging, while the other batteries have not yet been fully charged. If charging continues at this point, this individual battery will be overcharged. When discharging, it will be completely discharged first, causing other batteries to be unable to discharge fully.

Avoidance methods

Regularly test the individual batteries in the battery pack, measure their voltage, capacity and other parameters, and understand the performance status of each individual battery. For single cells with significant performance differences, they should be replaced or adjusted in a timely manner. Meanwhile, a charger with equalization charging function is used to automatically perform equalization charging on each individual battery during the charging process, ensuring that each individual battery can reach the optimal charging state.

6.  Not paying attention to daily cleaning

Error manifestation

During the operation of forklifts, the surface of the battery is prone to accumulate dust, soil, oil stains and other dirt. Many operators neglect the cleaning of the battery surface. These dirt can form a conductive layer on the battery surface, intensifying the self-discharge phenomenon of the battery and reducing its power storage capacity. At the same time, dirt can also corrode the battery casing and connecting wires, affecting the normal use and safety of the battery. In addition, if the oxide on the battery terminals is not cleaned in time, it will increase the contact resistance, causing poor current transmission during charging and discharging, and affecting the battery performance.

Avoidance methods

Establish a regular cleaning system and clean the surface of the battery at least once a week. When cleaning, use a clean damp cloth to wipe the battery casing to remove surface dust, oil stains and other dirt. Avoid using organic solvents to prevent damage to the battery casing. For the oxides on the battery terminals, you can use a dedicated terminal cleaner or sandpaper to gently wipe them to make the surface bright and the contact good. In addition, during the cleaning process, it is necessary to pay attention to avoiding water from entering the battery interior to ensure the safety of the cleaning work.

7. Ignoring the influence of temperature

Error manifestation

The performance of lead-acid batteries is relatively sensitive to temperature, but many users do not fully consider the temperature factor during the usage process. In low-temperature environments, the viscosity of the electrolyte increases, the ion migration speed slows down, resulting in an increase in battery internal resistance, a decrease in charging and discharging efficiency, a reduction in capacity, and a significant shortening of the forklift's endurance. In high-temperature environments, the chemical reaction rate inside the battery increases, causing the battery to heat up more intensely. This will accelerate the evaporation of the electrolyte and the aging of the plates, thereby shortening the battery's service life. In addition, excessively high temperatures may also cause an increase in the internal pressure of the battery, posing a risk of bulging or even explosion.

Avoidance methods

When using forklifts in low-temperature environments, measures can be taken to preheat the battery, such as placing it in a warm room for a period of time or using a dedicated battery heating device to increase the battery temperature and improve its performance. At the same time, appropriately reduce the discharge current to avoid damage to the battery caused by large current discharge. In high-temperature environments, it is necessary to enhance the heat dissipation of batteries. Heat dissipation equipment such as fans can be installed in charging areas and forklift working zones to lower the battery temperature. In addition, the charging parameters can be adjusted, and the charging current and voltage can be appropriately reduced to slow down the aging speed of the battery in high-temperature environments.

8. Incorrect storage methods

Error manifestation

When forklifts are not in use for a long time, many people store lead-acid batteries randomly, neither charging and maintaining them nor taking other protective measures. This incorrect storage method will cause the battery to self-discharge, gradually depleting its power. When the battery is stored in a state of low charge, sulfation will occur on the plates, which seriously affects the performance and lifespan of the battery. In addition, if the battery is subjected to external forces such as squeezing or collision during storage, it may cause damage to the battery casing, deformation of the plates, and internal short circuits and other faults of the battery.

Avoidance methods

If the battery needs to be stored for a long time, it should be fully charged first, and then recharged at regular intervals to prevent self-discharge of the battery and subsequent battery depletion. When storing, the battery should be placed in a dry, well-ventilated and cool environment, avoiding direct sunlight and high-temperature conditions. At the same time, make sure the battery is not squeezed or collided. You can place the battery on a dedicated battery rack. In addition, before reusing the stored batteries, a comprehensive inspection of the batteries should be carried out, including voltage, capacity, electrolyte state, etc., to ensure that the battery performance is normal.

9. Lack of regular maintenance and inspection

Error manifestation

Some enterprises and operators believe that as long as lead-acid batteries can be used normally, there is no need for regular maintenance and inspection. This concept is wrong. As the usage time increases, the plates, electrolyte and other components inside the battery will gradually age and wear out, and its performance will also decline accordingly. If regular maintenance and inspection are not carried out, potential problems of the battery, such as sulfation of the plates, deterioration of the electrolyte, and loose connecting wires, cannot be detected in time. These problems will gradually accumulate and eventually lead to battery failure, affecting the normal operation of the forklift and even causing safety accidents.

Avoidance methods

Formulate a detailed battery maintenance and inspection plan and conduct a comprehensive inspection of the battery on a regular basis. The inspection items include the battery's voltage, capacity, electrolyte density, plate condition, and whether the connecting wires are firm, etc. Through detection, problems with the battery can be identified in a timely manner, and corresponding measures can be taken to repair or handle them. At the same time, establish a battery maintenance file to record the time, content, results and other information of each maintenance and inspection, so as to track and analyze the performance changes of the battery.

10. Insufficient training for operators

Error manifestation

Many enterprises do not attach enough importance to the training of forklift operators. They only focus on the training of operational skills but neglect the training of knowledge related to lead-acid batteries and the correct usage methods. Due to the lack of necessary knowledge, operators are not familiar with the performance characteristics, usage precautions and maintenance methods of batteries. In the actual operation process, various incorrect behaviors are prone to occur, such as over-discharging, improper charging and neglecting the maintenance of the electrolyte, which affects the service life of the battery and the normal operation of the forklift.

Avoidance methods

Enterprises should enhance the training of forklift operators. They should not only train operational skills but also systematically impart relevant knowledge about lead-acid batteries, including the working principle, performance characteristics, usage methods, and maintenance points of the batteries. The training methods can adopt various forms such as theoretical lectures, practical operation demonstrations, and case analyses to ensure that the operators can deeply understand and master the relevant knowledge. At the same time, regular assessments should be conducted on the operators to test their mastery of knowledge and practical operation skills. For those who fail the assessment, re-training should be provided until they pass. In addition, an incentive mechanism can be established to encourage operators to actively learn and master the knowledge of battery usage and maintenance, and improve their operational skills and maintenance levels.

To sum up, these common mistakes that occur during the use of forklift lead-acid batteries seriously affect the performance and service life of the batteries, increasing the operating costs and safety risks of enterprises. By understanding these erroneous manifestations and taking corresponding avoidance measures, as well as strengthening the management and maintenance of battery usage, the performance and reliability of lead-acid batteries can be effectively enhanced, their service life can be prolonged, providing a solid guarantee for the efficient and safe operation of forklifts, and thus creating greater economic and social benefits for enterprises.