News

1. Introduction

In the modern logistics industry, forklifts, as important handling equipment, are widely used in warehouses, factories and other places. As the main power source of forklifts, the stability of the performance of lead-acid batteries directly affects the normal operation and working efficiency of forklifts. However, during the use of lead-acid batteries in forklifts, there are many potential hazards. These hazards not only may lead to a shortened battery life and a decline in performance, but may even cause safety accidents, posing serious harm to personnel and equipment. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to have a thorough understanding of the potential hazards during the use of lead-acid batteries in forklifts and take effective preventive measures.

2. Potential Hazards During the Use of Lead-acid Batteries in Forklifts

(1) Hidden dangers of the battery itself

Plate vulcanization

Plate sulfation is one of the common hidden dangers in forklift lead-acid batteries. When the battery is undercharged for a long time, not charged in time after discharging, or the electrolyte level is too low, the lead sulfate on the plates cannot be reduced in time and will gradually form coarse and hard lead sulfate crystals, adhering to the surface of the plates, resulting in a reduction in the effective area of the plates, a decrease in battery capacity, an increase in internal resistance, and a decline in charging and discharging performance. In severe cases, it can cause the battery to fail to charge and discharge normally, and even lead to its scrapping.

Self-discharge

During the storage and use of lead-acid batteries, self-discharge may occur due to impurities in the electrolyte, impure plate materials, or internal short circuits within the battery. Self-discharge will cause the battery's power to gradually decrease. If it is not charged in time, the battery will remain in a state of low power for a long time, accelerating the sulfation of the plates and shortening the battery's lifespan.

Electrolyte leakage

Electrolyte leakage is a rather dangerous hidden danger during the use of lead-acid batteries in forklifts. Battery casing damage, aging and cracking of sealing glue, poor sealing of terminal posts and other reasons may all lead to electrolyte leakage. The electrolyte is highly corrosive. Once it leaks, it will cause corrosion to the surrounding metal parts, the ground and the environment, and may also cause harm to the skin and eyes of the operators. In addition, electrolyte leakage can also lead to a reduction in the amount of electrolyte inside the battery, affecting its normal performance.

Battery overheating

During the charging and discharging process, the battery will generate a certain amount of heat. If the charging current is too large, there is a short circuit inside the battery, poor heat dissipation or a long period of high-current discharge, it will cause the battery temperature to be too high. Battery overheating will accelerate the evaporation of the electrolyte, causing the liquid level to drop. At the same time, it will also lead to the shedding of active materials on the plates, intensify the corrosion of the plate grid frame, seriously affecting the battery's lifespan, and may even cause safety accidents such as battery explosions.

(2) Potential hazards during the charging process

Charging equipment failure

Charging equipment is a key device for charging lead-acid batteries in forklifts. The stability of its performance directly affects the charging effect and battery safety. Possible faults of charging equipment include unstable charging voltage, excessive or insufficient charging current, poor contact of charging lines, and damage to charging modules, etc. If the faults of the charging equipment are not detected and dealt with in time, it will lead to insufficient or overcharging of the battery, causing damage to the battery.

The charging parameters are set improperly

The charging parameters of lead-acid batteries for forklifts of different models and specifications vary. If the operator fails to set the charging parameters as required in the battery manual or increases the charging current at will to shorten the charging time, it will lead to abnormal battery charging process, resulting in overcharging or undercharging, which will affect the battery's performance and lifespan.

Poor charging environment

The charging environment has a significant impact on the charging safety and effect of forklift lead-acid batteries. If the charging site has poor ventilation, it will lead to the accumulation of hydrogen and oxygen produced during the charging process, forming an explosive mixture gas and posing an explosion risk. In addition, excessively high or low charging environment temperatures can also affect charging efficiency and battery life. Excessively high temperatures will accelerate the evaporation of the electrolyte and the corrosion of the plates, while excessively low temperatures will reduce the battery's charging acceptance capacity and prolong the charging time.

(3) Potential hazards in the usage environment

The temperature is too high or too low

Forklift lead-acid batteries are relatively sensitive to the temperature of the operating environment. When the ambient temperature is too high, the chemical reaction rate inside the battery increases, the evaporation of the electrolyte intensifies, and the shedding rate of the active material on the plates speeds up, significantly shortening the battery's lifespan. At the same time, high temperatures will also increase the internal resistance of the battery, reduce the output power, and affect the normal operation of the forklift. When the ambient temperature is too low, the viscosity of the battery electrolyte increases, the ion migration speed slows down, the battery capacity will significantly decrease, the charging and discharging efficiency will decline, and even the battery may fail to start the forklift.

The humidity is not appropriate.

When the environmental humidity is too high, the surface of the battery is prone to moisture, causing oxidation and corrosion of the terminal posts and connection wire terminals, increasing contact resistance and affecting the battery's electrical conductivity. In addition, a humid environment may also cause the insulating components inside the battery to become damp, reducing insulation performance and posing a risk of short circuits. When the environmental humidity is too low, the moisture content in the air is small, the evaporation rate of the electrolyte increases, and distilled water needs to be replenished frequently, which increases the maintenance workload.

Dust and corrosive gases

In some special working environments, such as factory workshops and mines, the air may contain a large amount of dust and corrosive gases. Dust can deposit on the surface and inside the battery, blocking the exhaust holes of the battery, affecting the discharge of gas inside the battery, causing the internal pressure of the battery to rise. In severe cases, it may cause the battery casing to swell or even rupture. Corrosive gases can cause corrosion to the metal components of batteries, accelerate their damage, and affect the performance and lifespan of batteries.

(4) Potential hazards in maintenance and upkeep

Lack of regular inspection and maintenance

Many forklift users do not attach enough importance to the maintenance and care of lead-acid batteries and lack a complete regular inspection and maintenance system. Operators often only focus on whether the battery can start the forklift normally, while neglecting to check key indicators such as the battery's appearance, electrolyte level, voltage, and internal resistance. If maintenance and upkeep are not carried out for a long time, the potential hazards of the battery will not be detected and dealt with in time. Gradually, they will accumulate and eventually lead to battery failure or safety accidents.

Improper replenishment of the electrolyte

The replenishment of electrolyte is an important part of the maintenance and care of lead-acid batteries in forklifts. When replenishing the electrolyte, if distilled water that does not meet the requirements is used, it will lead to a decrease in the purity of the electrolyte, accelerate the sulfation of the plates and self-discharge. In addition, an improper amount of electrolyte replenishment can also have adverse effects on the battery. Excessively high liquid levels can cause the electrolyte to overflow during the charging process, corroding the battery and surrounding components. If the liquid level is too low, the plates will be exposed to the air, causing oxidation and sulfidation of the plates.

Improper installation and connection of the battery

The installation and connection methods of batteries have a significant impact on their usage safety and performance. If the battery is not installed firmly, vibration and jolting will occur during the forklift's operation, causing the internal plates of the battery to loosen, poor contact of the terminal post connection lines, and even damage to the battery casing. When connecting batteries, if the terminals of the connecting wires are loose, oxidized or the contact area is insufficient, it will lead to an increase in contact resistance, generating a large amount of heat during charging and discharging, which may cause safety accidents.

3. Preventive Measures for Potential Hazards of Lead-Acid Batteries in Forklifts

(1) Prevention of potential hazards of the battery itself

Choose high-quality lead-acid batteries

When purchasing lead-acid batteries for forklifts, one should choose high-quality products produced by regular manufacturers to ensure that the quality and performance of the batteries meet relevant standards and requirements. High-quality batteries have better plate materials, electrolyte formulas and manufacturing processes, which can effectively reduce the occurrence of hidden dangers such as plate sulfation and self-discharge. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to choosing batteries that match the forklift model and usage conditions to avoid affecting the usage effect due to unsuitable battery specifications.

Use batteries reasonably

When using lead-acid batteries for forklifts, excessive discharge should be avoided. Generally speaking, the discharge depth of lead-acid batteries should not exceed 80%; otherwise, it will accelerate the sulfation of the plates. When the battery indicator light of the forklift shows insufficient power, the battery should be charged in time to avoid it remaining in a state of low power for a long time. At the same time, the working load of the forklift should be reasonably controlled to avoid long-term high-current discharge and reduce the risk of battery overheating.

Regularly inspect and maintain the battery

Establish a complete regular inspection and maintenance system for batteries, and conduct regular appearance checks on batteries, electrolyte level detection, voltage and internal resistance measurement, etc. When problems such as battery casing damage, electrolyte leakage, and plate sulfation are found, they should be dealt with promptly. Regular charge and discharge maintenance should be carried out on the battery, and reasonable charging and discharging methods should be adopted, such as regular full charging and discharging to activate the plates and restore the battery capacity.

(2) Prevention of potential hazards during the charging process

Select the appropriate charging equipment

According to the model and specification of the lead-acid battery of the forklift, select the matching charging equipment. The charging equipment should have good performance and stability, and be equipped with functions such as overvoltage, overcurrent and overheating protection to ensure the safety and reliability of the charging process. At the same time, regular inspections and maintenance of the charging equipment should be carried out, and aged or damaged components should be replaced in a timely manner to ensure the normal operation of the charging equipment.

Set the charging parameters correctly

Before using the charging equipment, the operator should carefully read the manual of the battery and the charging equipment, understand and correctly set the charging parameters. During the charging process, it is necessary to closely monitor the operating status of the charging equipment and parameters such as the battery's temperature and voltage. If any abnormal situation is found, stop charging immediately and conduct an inspection. Avoid changing the charging parameters at will to shorten the charging time and ensure that the battery is charged under appropriate charging conditions.

Improve the charging environment

The charging site should be well-ventilated to ensure that the hydrogen and oxygen generated during the charging process can be discharged in a timely manner to avoid the formation of explosive gas mixtures. At the same time, the temperature and humidity of the charging environment should be controlled. The temperature should be kept at around 20-30℃ and the humidity at around 50%-70%. Keep the charging area clean to avoid damage to the charging equipment and batteries caused by dust and corrosive gases.

(3) Prevention of potential hazards in the usage environment

Control the ambient temperature

During the use of lead-acid batteries in forklifts, they should be placed in an environment with a suitable temperature as much as possible. When the ambient temperature is too high, measures such as installing heat dissipation devices and increasing ventilation facilities can be taken to lower the temperature around the battery. When the ambient temperature is too low, the battery can be insulated, such as wrapping it with an insulation cover or preheating it before charging to enhance its charging acceptance capacity.

Maintain appropriate humidity

To maintain an appropriate environmental humidity, humidity regulation equipment such as humidifiers or dehumidifiers can be installed in the places where batteries are stored and used. Regularly clean the surface of the battery to prevent dust and moisture from accumulating on it and to avoid oxidation and corrosion of the terminal posts and connection wire terminals.

Strengthen environmental cleaning and protection

For working environments with a large amount of dust and corrosive gases, it is necessary to clean the battery regularly, remove the dust on the surface and inside the battery, and keep the exhaust holes of the battery unobstructed. Protective covers or enclosures can be added to the batteries to reduce the direct erosion of dust and corrosive gases on the batteries. At the same time, efforts should be made to strengthen the management of the working environment, reduce the emission of dust and corrosive gases, and create a favorable usage environment for batteries.

(4) Prevention of potential maintenance and upkeep risks

Establish a complete maintenance and upkeep system

Forklift user units should formulate detailed maintenance and care regulations for lead-acid batteries, clearly defining the maintenance cycle, items and requirements. Arrange professional personnel to be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of batteries, and provide regular training and assessment for the maintenance personnel to ensure they possess the corresponding knowledge and skills. At the same time, maintenance and upkeep records should be established, detailing the time, content, problems found and handling of each maintenance and upkeep to facilitate traceability and analysis.

Replenish the electrolyte correctly

When replenishing the electrolyte, distilled water of purity that meets the requirements should be used, and tap water or other water containing impurities should be avoided. Before replenishing the electrolyte, it is necessary to first check the height of the electrolyte level in the battery. If the level is too low, distilled water should be added in time to keep the level within the range specified by the scale line. When replenishing the electrolyte, be careful not to overdo it to prevent the electrolyte from overflowing.

Standardize the installation and connection of batteries

When installing the battery, make sure it is firmly installed to avoid vibration and jolting during the forklift's operation. When connecting the battery, clean the terminals of the connection wire thoroughly to ensure a tight connection and good contact. An appropriate amount of Vaseline or conductive paste can be applied to the terminals of the connecting wire to prevent oxidation of the terminals and reduce contact resistance. After the installation and connection are completed, the installation status and connection condition of the battery should be inspected to ensure they meet the requirements.

4. Conclusion

During the use of forklift lead-acid batteries, there are multiple hidden dangers such as the battery itself, the charging process, the usage environment and maintenance. These hidden dangers not only affect the performance and lifespan of the battery, but may also cause safety accidents. To ensure the safe operation of forklifts and enhance work efficiency, forklift user units must attach great importance to the safe use of lead-acid batteries, deeply understand the causes and hazards of these hidden dangers, take targeted preventive measures, strengthen the daily inspection, maintenance and care of batteries, select high-quality batteries and charging equipment, use batteries reasonably, and improve the usage environment. Establish a complete maintenance and upkeep system. Only in this way can the hidden dangers during the use of lead-acid batteries in forklifts be effectively reduced, the battery life be prolonged, and the normal operation of forklifts and the safety of personnel and equipment be guaranteed.