Shorter Lead Times for DC Products

Many times we issue a story, blog or press release announcing a major improvement to the company and/or our customer service. However, most times we move on to the next news item and do not report the progress on previous stories. I am happy to announce that Green Cube’s (formerly branded as UNIPOWER) lead time program has been a huge success! The attached story is from last October, when Green Cubes announced a new program to get products into our customers’ hands quicker. Our goal was to get lead times on our ARE-M and ARE-S below four weeks and to even hit two weeks when possible.

In a very difficult environment (COVID-19, supply issues, component shortages and shipping delays) we have managed to increase our on-time delivery and far exceed our lead time goals for these popular battery chargers. Since the announcement last year, we have shipped nearly every battery charger order within the more aggressive 2-week goal, and many times we shipped within 1 week! This is a marked improvement over the last few years and all resulting from a new Operations-centric stocking program. You can read the full article below.


Rugged, High-Temp Battery Chargers for Utility, Communications and Industrial Applications First to Benefit from Shorter Lead-Times

October 15, 2020 (Coral Springs, FL) – Green Cubes (formerly branded as UNIPOWER) LLC, a world-leading supplier of industrial AC and DC power systems, announces a new corporate initiative to invest in resources that are decreasing lead times and providing an easier order process for its highly reliable AC/DC power solutions. Known industry-wide for its product quality and longevity, this new program is designed to assist customers with time-critical delivery needs.

“We have recently invested in state-of-the-art testing equipment and process improvements to upgrade our manufacturing so that we can deliver our products more quickly to our customers – in as little as two weeks for many products and configurations,” said John Ely, vice president of marketing for Green Cubes. “We are also investing in our technical support and field service teams to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction from pre-order to post-sale assistance.”

The first product lines to benefit from the faster delivery times are Green Cube’s ARE-M Series Ferroresonant Chargers and ARE-S Series SCR-Controlled Chargers designed for harsh environments. Built from the ground up to operate in remote and demanding outdoor applications, both the ARE-M and ARE-S models operate in a wide temperature range from 32ºF to 122ºF (0ºC to 50ºC). Incorporating long-life components, the low-maintenance chargers have demonstrated their dependability in decades of reliable operation across the globe. They feature easy serviceability that saves time and costs – essential for communications and industrial power systems located in isolated locations, including offshore operations. With single-phase AC input, users can select from 24, 48 or 130VDC output with 144W to 6500W for the ARE-M Series and 48 or 130VDC output of 288W to 9750W for the ARE-S Series.

“Our robust ARE-M and ARE-S battery chargers offer ideal solutions for utility, communication and industrial power systems that are often located in remote settings,” explained Ely. “Some of our chargers have been in the field for 30 years – a testament to their high reliability, long life, low operating cost, easy-to-service modules and wide operating temperature range. These qualities make our ARE Series the go-to choice for power systems located in challenging environments – reducing truck rolls and other expensive service costs. With our upgraded manufacturing support, getting our battery chargers to customers faster to support their product rollouts makes them even more desirable.”

ARE-M Series Controlled Ferroresonant Float Rectifiers Feature:

  • Single-phase 120, 208, 240, or 480VAC input
  • 24, 48 and 130VDC models, with 6 to 100-amp output
  • Voltage regulation
  • Advanced rectifier, control, and filter circuitry
  • Short-circuit protection
  • Easily adjusted to meet specific operating requirements
  • Low operating costs (a combination of high efficiency and low power factor)
  • Easy maintenance and high reliability
  • Digital controls
  • High MTBF and a 5-year warranty
  • Safety Agency Listed to UL 1012 and CSA 107.1

ARE-S Series SCR-Controlled Single-Phase Chargers Feature:

  • Single-Phase 120, 208, 240, or 480VAC input
  • 48VDC with 6 to 50-amp output
  • 130VDC with 6 to75-amp output
  • Digital controls with 4-button keypad for live charger setting and alarm adjustments
  • Floor, wall, and relay rack mounts are available on most models
  • Modular design of major components for easy maintenance
  • Visual indicators with time delays to prevent nuisance alarms
  • Inherently safe design
  • High MTBF and 5-year warranty
  • Safety Agency Listed to UL 1012 and CSA 107.1

In addition, both models offer many options including: blocking diodes, lightning protection, transient protection (MOVs) and more.

The UL-listed, CSA-certified Micro ARE-M and Micro ARE-S chargers are available now.

To learn more technical details, watch Green Cube’s webinar on Utility and Industrial Charging Systems on YouTube.

More Information

Safer Forklifts with Iron Phosphate Li-ion Batteries

For Forklift Safety Week, Green Cubes Technology would like to highlight the benefits of Iron Phosphate Li-ion Batteries (LFP) over conventional lead-acid batteries in preventing workplace injuries in the warehouse environment.

The ongoing maintenance required to keep flooded lead acid batteries running presents a danger to the workers tasked with charging, watering and changing batteries in forklifts and other material handling equipment. The highly corrosive electrolytes in batteries can cause respiratory irritation, eye damage, skin irritation, and erode tooth enamel. The sheer size of material handling batteries means that crush injuries also occur during battery changes and repetitive use injuries are very common.

New LFP Li-ion batteries eliminate most of these issues because they are self-contained and maintenance free. Iron phosphate, a subset of Li-ion is the safest chemistry available, and its long cycle life means that it will last the lifetime of the truck. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) is safest with:

  • Its stable chemical make-up, demonstrated by the high thermal runaway temperature.
  • The separator limits the chemical reaction of the electrode and helps to prevent thermal runaways by closing its porous structure at high temperatures.
  • The electronics of the Li-ion battery also provide protection against safety events, with incorporated fuses and protection against over-charge, over-discharge and high and low temperature charging.

Li-ion batteries greatly reduce the risk to the workforce when they are implemented for forklifts. For more detailed information, please see our recent article “Creating a Safer Workplace with Iron Phosphate Li-ion Batteries” in Workplace Material Handling & Safety.