In 2015, Reishauer
decided to replace the obsolete charging stations used for its fleet of
electrically powered forklift trucks and tractor units. Apart from considerable
shortcomings in terms of safety and fire protection, there was a distinct lack
of organisation and structure. The adoption of a professional approach towards
the layout of charging rooms and stations is intended to minimise the accident
risk posed by the corrosive acids contained within lead batteries and reduce
the possibility of an explosion triggered by the oxyhydrogen produced during
charging.
Reishauer
entrusted the modernisation to Fronius. With the focus on safety and ease of
use, and not forgetting the requirement to comply with all the existing
standards and official regulations, the Fronius specialists developed a central
charging station with five charging points. The new Selectiva chargers were
secured in a fixed location where they cannot be damaged by the forklifts yet
are still easy to operate. Automatic cable retraction systems pull the charging
cable back as soon as it is no longer needed. The modules also provide enough
space for the necessary safety equipment should an accident occur. The Fronius
devices also feature the Ri charging process, which enables every charging process
to use an individual characteristic that, amongst other things, assesses the
age, capacity and state of charge of the connected battery. The automatic
voltage detection facility featured in the devices provides a degree of
flexibility that allows a variety of batteries to be charged.