ACT Material Handling is proud to carry EP's line of material handling equipment. EP is an elite material handling equipment provider that helps maximize the efficiency of eCommerce operations for a variety of applications and environments. Their fleet of stackers, pallet jacks, work assist vehicles and forklifts keep facilities productive and safe. In today's fast-paced, global eCommerce environment, EP has a solution for every scenario. Whether picking small items or maneuvering between narrow aisles, EP's solutions maximize efficiency and provide added safety to employees.
Lithium-Ion battery technology has been a part of the material handling industry for some time, its prevalence is growing with an increasing range of products that leverage its advanced capabilities. Improvements are key in enhancing efficiency throughout the supply chain. Lithium-Ion batteries outperform their lead-acid counterparts in environmental friendliness and energy density, contributing to greater productivity.
Lithium-Ion batteries excel in energy retention, offering extended power storage, and are becoming the norm in electric vehicles. Their light weight, minimal maintenance requirements, ability to charge quickly between shifts, and effective performance in cold storage environments further underscore their suitability for diverse material handling needs.
Lithium-ion batteries have a lifecycle of 4000 or more compared to just 500-1000 cycles in lead acid. Lithium-ion batteries generally last several times the number of cycles as lead acid batteries, leading to a longer effective lifespan for lithium-ion products. Cycles are also counted in % of charge rather than one cycle every time you connect the battery to the charger. This means: 10% charge is 1/10 of a cycle with a Li-Ion battery, while a 10% charge at a lead acid battery is 1 full cycle.
Most lithium-ion batteries are 95 percent efficient or more, meaning that 95 percent or more of the energy stored in a lithium-ion battery is actually able to be used. Conversely, lead acid batteries see efficiencies closer to 80 to 85 percent.
Higher efficiency batteries charge faster, improved efficiency means a higher effective battery capacity. Lithium batteries take 2-3 hours to charge while leadacid batteries need 8 hours.
While lead acid batteries always need a full charge cycle of 8-12 hours to keep the batteries chemistry in balance, LI-Ion batteries really like opportunity charging. They can be plugged in the wall and charged for 10 Minutes during a lunch break. This offers a unique way to work your shifts and reduce the overall Ah carried around in the truck.
Lithium-ion batteries offer high power density which cause lithium-ion batteries to be relatively small and light. It is only one-third the weight of lead-acid batteries. This offers manufacturers like EP the opportunity to develop trucks with higher standards of ergonomics, with more legroom and better performance due to the smaller size and weight of the batteries.
From an ecological point of view, Lithium-Ion batteries are non-toxic and harmless. They emit no gas so it is a much cleaner technology and is safer for the environment than lead-acid.
