Reducing manufacturing downtime with lithium material handling batteries

Stable voltage limits slowdowns

Production deadlines slip when trucks and tuggers crawl across the floor. Conventional lead-acid batteries lose voltage as they discharge, which cuts travel speed and lift force. A lithium material handling battery holds voltage almost constant until the final minutes of a shift, so automated guided vehicles, assembly feeders, and line-side pallet jacks maintain rated performance from start to finish.

Quick recharge restores equipment availability

Lead-acid units can spend eight hours on a charger before they cool enough for service. A lithium pack regains full capacity in about two hours and supports opportunity charging during line changeovers or quality checks without shortening its life. Shorter charge windows reduce the number of standby batteries and floor space set aside for spares.

Low-touch upkeep returns technician hours

Weekly watering, terminal cleaning, and equalization cycles vanish with sealed lithium chemistry. Day-to-day care amounts to a brief visual inspection and a glance at the onboard display. Maintenance teams can redirect those recovered hours to predictive tasks such as vibration analysis, which drive overall equipment effectiveness.

Long service life steadies capital budgets

A typical lead-acid pack delivers about 1,400 cycles. Lithium alternatives often exceed 3,000 before noticeable capacity loss. Fewer change-outs lower procurement spend, cut hazardous-waste fees, and give finance teams predictable depreciation schedules. Plants exploring upgrades can compare options in the motive power portfolio to match voltage and footprint requirements.

Implementation checklist

• Verify lithium pack voltage, weight, and dimensions align with existing trucks and lifts.
  
• Position high-efficiency chargers near natural pause points to encourage brief top-ups.
  
• Record baseline battery-related downtime, then track post-conversion gains through the battery management dashboard.
  

Manufacturers that adopt lithium material handling batteries report sharper throughput, smaller utility bills, and leaner maintenance schedules. Request a customized efficiency assessment to learn how quickly your facility can achieve similar gains.