Keep charging, stop changing: Crown presents its new V-Force® lithium-ion technology
Crown Equipment Corporation, one of the world’s largest material handling companies, has launched its own V-Force® branded solutions for customers seeking to improve battery electric forklift performance by using lithium-ion technology. Crown’s V-Force Energy Storage Systems (ESS) include lithium-ion batteries and chargers and are now available for Crown’s entire forklift truck portfolio.
For fleet managers, the ability to rely on one trusted supplier for both forklift trucks and battery technology is essential. To provide customers with a top-quality, single-source service dedicated to lithium-ion technology, Crown has now launched its own V-Force batteries and chargers. The whole system is backed by Crown’s comprehensive service and support network. Highly qualified service technicians visit customers’ premises to help ensure forklifts, chargers and batteries are in proper operating condition.
“V-Force lithium-ion batteries last up to three times longer than lead-acid batteries; they also offer faster charging, opportunity charging top-ups and longer run times” explained Henry Larsen Motive Power Product Manager and Technology Solutions at Crown. “The batteries charge and discharge more efficiently and deliver sustained high performance throughout their charge. Because you can recharge the batteries whenever you like, you can extend your forklift uptime over a 24-hour period. This means you can use them for one or more shifts without having to swap batteries.”
Lithium-ion systems offer considerable advantages over lead-acid batteries, especially in multi-shift operation. Routine battery maintenance is no longer necessary, and batteries no longer need to be changed or watered. Because lithium-ion batteries do not produce emissions while recharging, separate battery-charging rooms are no longer required. In short, the batteries’ increased efficiency and lower service costs over time result in significant advantages for customers.
Crown V-Force batteries comply with Australian standards AS IEC 62619 for use in Industrial applications.
Crown’s V-Force batteries are designed to meet international automotive standards and locally adopted industrial standards in terms of extreme safety and ease of use, thus offering more capabilities than many other lithium-ion batteries on the market. Fitted with multiple redundant safety systems, each battery features a multi-level safety architecture incorporating, for example, a variety of fuses plus individual-cell temperature and voltage monitoring. Safety systems built into the battery help protect against overheating, short circuits, overcharging or deep discharging. Even better, various active protection functions prevent operator errors from damaging the battery.
The right choice for your battery-charging needs: Crown’s V-Force charger
Crown’s V-Force V-HFM3 Series high-frequency chargers deliver the power your lithium-ion energy storage system needs. The performance of the Crown chargers is excellent thanks to the fast charging process. V-Force chargers use high-frequency technology to achieve charging rates of up to 1C. This means they can fully charge batteries with capacities of up to 400 Ah in less than 60 minutes by delivering a steady charging current of up to 400 A. These figures are among the best in the industry. The user-friendly chargers can handle battery voltages ranging from 24 to 96 volts for the V-HFM3. To detect each battery’s voltage class automatically and charge the battery without requiring manual pre-sets, the charger communicates directly with the battery management system via the CAN bus. During the charging process, a large, informative user interface displays an exceptionally clear overview of the battery’s charging and operating status.
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 utilises 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 15,100 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.