Answer
Which lithium battery for commercial and industrial equipment?
The short answer
One sized to the duty cycle, from a builder who can scale it. Lithium Battery Power powers electric forklifts, scissor lifts, floor scrubbers, robotics, backup systems and mobile workstations with packs from 12V to 48V, modular up to 72V systems, each with a built-in battery management system and rated at 3,000 to 5,000 cycles.
What do the batteries power?
The company’s own list: electric forklifts, floor scrubbers, scissor lifts, backup power systems, mobile workstations, solar banks, robotics and more. The common thread is high load and high cycle count, which is where lead acid costs the most in maintenance, charging time and replacement.
Why lithium in a working environment?
In the company’s words: longer life, faster charging, zero maintenance and far less weight than lead acid, which adds up to better operational efficiency and lower long term cost. Three of those show up on a shop floor every day.
Charging time. A lithium pack takes a charge faster, so a scrubber or a lift is back in service sooner.
No maintenance. No watering, no equalising, no acid.
Depth of discharge. Lithium can be run down fully and holds voltage the whole way, so a lift does not slow at the end of a shift the way a half-flat lead acid bank does.
Which packs does LBP build for it?
| Pack | How the company describes it |
|---|---|
| LBP 12V 108Ah High Performance | For high-demand applications, with a built-in BMS |
| LBP 12V 230Ah | High capacity for commercial and industrial use, long runtimes, fast charging |
| LBP 24V 150Ah | Substantial storage for industrial machinery and commercial energy systems |
| LBP 36V 120Ah | A balance of voltage and capacity for commercial electric vehicles and equipment |
| LBP 48V 120Ah | For larger applications such as backup power and heavy machinery |
From 12V to 72V systems, the company describes its batteries as modular and built to grow, and up to four can be connected in series or parallel. Custom packs are built for applications the standard sizes do not fit.
How safe are they on a site?
Every LBP battery has a built-in battery management system that protects against overcharge, deep discharge, short circuit and temperature extremes, and keeps the cells balanced while charging. A pack that has shut itself off is in protection mode. Select models carry thermal protection for cold or high heat, and the company says the batteries are designed for a wide range of environments. The cases are IP65: wet is fine, submerged is not.
How long do they last, in years?
Most LBP batteries are rated at 3,000 to 5,000 cycles, which the company translates into years of dependable use depending on how they are charged and discharged. On equipment that cycles daily, that is the number to compare against a lead acid replacement schedule.
How do I charge a fleet?
Lithium compatible chargers at the matching voltage, and a multi-bank charger will charge several batteries at once. The charger page covers it. For equipment nobody watches, the Bluetooth packs and the battery apps show charge and health from a phone.
What about backup power?
Backup power systems are on the company’s list, and for communications and server backup specifically the communications backup page covers runtime arithmetic and unattended sites.
Who builds it?
Lithium Battery Power, in Clearwater, Florida, with more than 25,000 batteries distributed. Call 727-223-9831 with the equipment, the voltage and the duty cycle, and the team will size the pack, or build one.
Questions we get asked
Can one pack run a forklift?
That depends on the forklift’s voltage and current. The company’s packs run from 12V to 48V and link up to four; call with the truck’s spec.
What about extreme temperatures?
The company says its batteries perform across a wide range of environments, with thermal protection on select models for cold or high heat. Ask which model suits the site.
Is there a warranty?
Ask the company for the terms for the pack you are buying. Submerging a battery voids it.
Where next?
The main lithium battery guide covers what a BMS does and how packs are wired.
Talk to someone who builds these
LBP builds custom packs as well as shipping standard sizes, and the team will size a bank to the boat, the cart or the rig before anything is bought.
Keep reading
- Choosing a lithium battery, without guessingHow to pick a lithium battery by voltage, amp hours and application, what a BMS actually does, how charging differs from lead acid, and where the limits are.
- Sizing a lithium battery for a trolling motorHow to match voltage and amp hours to a 12V, 24V or 36V trolling motor, what decides a full day on the water, and how lithium changes the sizing maths.
- All guidesEvery guide on lithiumbatterypower.com in one place.
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