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| The demand for forklift truck is shifting from enginedriven
vehicles to battery-powered vehicles, which produce
no exhaust gas and low noise. However, the battery-
powered forklift truck has some weaknesses, such
as shorter operating time and battery deterioration caused
by over discharge and overcharge, which the enginepowered
forklift truck does not have. Accordingly, the
need to extend the operating time and service life of the
battery-powered forklift truck is growing. SHI Control
Systems, Ltd. recently developed a quick battery charger
for forklift truck in cooperation with Sumitomo-NACCO
Materials Handling Industries, Ltd. This charger extends
the operating time by 4 hours ( at operating rate of 50%
with a representative, 1.5 - ton vehicle ) through a one -
hour supplemental charge during lunchtime, thus achieving
a long operating time comparable to the engine-powered
vehicle. In addition, the new charger uses a constant
current-constant voltage-constant current system
in which the battery voltage and charging current are
controlled by a microcomputer. |
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