Forklift Battery Health Monitor tracks real-time data.
Press Release Summary:
Installed on lead acid battery, Battery Health Monitor connects battery, forklift, and operator by monitoring real-time data on battery activity. Device uses Bluetooth to pair automatically with forklift's InfoLink® module, which delivers data collected by monitor to cloud-based management portal where it can be accessed through InfoLink dashboards. Instantaneous alerts on predetermined thresholds can be delivered to managers through email or text messages.
Original Press Release:
New Battery Health Monitor Technology from Crown Equipment Enables Holistic, Strategic Approach to Lead-Acid Battery Performance and Life
NEW BREMEN, Ohio – Crown Equipment Corporation, one of the world’s largest material handling companies, is providing relief to the heartburn associated with managing a forklift fleet powered by lead-acid batteries. Battery Health Monitor redefines battery management by combining with Crown’s InfoLink® wireless fleet and operator management system to create an integrated system that ties forklift, operator and battery data all under one program.
Installed on the battery, the Battery Health Monitor connects battery, forklift and operator by monitoring real-time data on battery activity. It captures battery performance during operation for each battery individually, which enables operators and managers to make timely and more proactive decisions as opposed to reactive decisions when the battery begins to fail. It positions forklift owners to manage batteries as assets, while driving operator accountability and improved battery troubleshooting that will enable better battery management practices.
“Our customers are now equipped with information to track amp hour throughput and run time, which helps them gain a better understanding of battery capabilities,” said Scott Barrett, motive power product manager, Crown Equipment. “They can more accurately identify neglected batteries, as well as determine which charging method – fast or opportunity – works best for each battery and which batteries work better in certain trucks and applications. Targeting certain batteries for particular applications promises to further enhance the efficiencies of battery rotation and lengthen battery runtime. Simply, this technology provides a holistic view of the battery that has been elusive for too long in our industry.”
Crown’s Battery Health Monitor provides an entirely different view of battery performance and health. For instance, managers can now know when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined threshold and compare it with additional data, like water levels or last equalization, while it is operating. This type of information helps managers create a performance profile for each battery that can track operation throughout a given time period or for a particular application to ensure optimal performance.
The Battery Health Monitor works with any forklift as long as it is equipped with Crown’s InfoLink as part of the fleet management system’s Advantage Plan. The device uses Bluetooth to pair automatically with the forklift’s InfoLink module, which delivers the relevant battery and maintenance data collected by the monitor to a cloud-based management portal where it can be accessed through intuitive InfoLink dashboards. Instantaneous alerts on predetermined thresholds can be delivered to managers through email or text messages, allowing them to take action anytime or anywhere.
About Crown Equipment Corporation
Crown is one of the world’s largest material handling companies with a reputation for award-winning product design, advanced engineering and technology, and superior after-sale service. Crown’s business philosophy utilizes vertically integrated processes to design, manufacture and distribute forward-thinking, innovative solutions that improve customers’ productivity and operating efficiency. Crown produces a broad range of forklifts as well as automation and fleet management technologies.
The company’s global headquarters is located in New Bremen, Ohio, USA, with regional headquarters in Australia, China, Germany and Singapore. Its employees number more than 12,000 worldwide. Crown operates a service and distribution network that exceeds 500 retail locations in over 80 countries. To learn more about Crown’s ideas for helping customers advance the productivity of their operations, visit crown.com.
