The charging process starts with full power in less than a second, so even the shortest downtimes can be used for charging without any significant loss in power conversion. With "in-process charging,” the batteries are charged at critical points in the warehouse. Based on the principle of magnetic induction, these technologies automatically transmit high currents fully to industrial trucks and AGVs during the ongoing logistics process. Wireless battery charging systems and energy management solutions circumvent the limitations of conventional charging technologies. High vehicle availability through "in-process charging" There are safety risks for employees and high maintenance costs the care and replacement of the mechanical sliding contacts is unacceptable. This is necessitated to install the sliding contacts and power lines. Automatic intermediate charging is possible, but the solutions are relatively expensive, inflexible, prone to failure, and require structural changes to the infrastructure. Stationary sliding contacts are permanently installed in the warehouse environment and mounted on the vehicles. There are automation concepts in which industrial trucks and AGVs are loaded automatically with sliding connections. From an occupational health and safety perspective, the battery exchange process is far less optimal. Additional batteries have to be purchased and the replacement process ties up valuable vehicle and personnel capacities. Special rooms are required where the exchange takes place. Replacing battery trays less than optimalĪnother approach to energy supply is to replace entire battery trays. This wasteful downtime of equipment is totally antithetical to all Lean Manufacturing principles. Ultimately, wired charging concepts are difficult to automate and the industrial trucks and AGVs are not productive during the charging process. The higher performance prices of peak loads have an impact when the entire fleet is charged after the end of the shift. The return on investment (ROI) deteriorates. To offset charging depletion, expensive batteries must be significantly larger, since smaller amounts of energy are regularly recharged. Without intermediate charging, the batteries’ energy levels drop continuously. The charging cables are only connected during longer breaks or after the end of the shift. Commercial vehicles are still frequently charged with wired plug connections, despite the possibility of battery charging during short stops. The extended service life of the batteries reduces operating and maintenance costs in the long term. Interim charging enables automated 24/7 operations which is critically important with two or three-shift operations at warehouses, distribution centers, 3PLs (third party logistics), and manufacturing facilities. In the field of driverless transport systems and mobile robots, powerful lithium-ion technology is already standard. Almost all large forklift manufacturers now have models with lithium-ion drives. The trend towards lithium-ion batteries in intralogistics continues. Inductive charging solutions offer impressive levels of efficiency, flexible integration, and the option of autonomous "in-process charging.” An added benefit is the high degree of flexibility when relocating the charging stations. For both, there are often significant investments and maintenance costs required. Contact sliding chargers are the common but are an unreliable alternative having been designed and developed decades ago. Until now the full potential of storage technology has not been fully realized.Ĭonventional battery charging concepts with plug-in cables cannot be automated. The advantages versus lead-acid batteries (including the ability to recharge faster and more often) are obvious. The energy systems are being scrutinized and lithium-ion batteries are the preferred technology. Whether driverless transport systems (AGVs), electric forklifts, or mobile robots (AMRs), the efficient use of industrial trucks is a decisive factor for competitiveness during ever- increasing cost pressures.
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