Your motive power fleet is a significant investment for your organization. According to a recent survey, 41% of overall spending was on material handling equipment. While 37% of companies reported a “wait and see” approach to spending in 2021, over 50% expected to increase spending over the next two to three years. Those investments are necessary to keep up with demand.
Daily operations rely on the forklifts that move materials throughout the facility. If that equipment fails, your productivity, and your bottom line, suffer. Proper maintenance allows you to get the maximum life out of the batteries and chargers that keep your lift trucks moving. Motive Power Services provides reactive and proactive maintenance services, as well as innovative application management technology, to help maximize availability in operations and minimize downtime.
Laying the Foundation
Advances in motive power technology have made electric fleets the choice for internal logistics.
Implementing the right battery and charger solution will allow your organization to get the most power and productivity out of your fleet. Power studies are the best way to help design the right system for your organization. Stryten Energy inCOMMAND leverages real fleet data, such as energy usage and time to charge, so you can compare various motive power options. Performance modeling compares the financial and operational performance of various solutions, simulating the impact of operational growth. These simulations can be run prior to deployment so that you make the best decision based on your unique application.
Proper installation keeps batteries and chargers safe and in their optimal working condition to maximize the lifetime of the assets. Motive Power Services will ensure all components are installed to the manufacturer’s specifications. Experts can install your chargers to assure the set-up is safe and programmed with the right application for the battery. Miscommunication between the charger and the battery decreases cycle life and risks overheating the battery. The correct installation will help protect the warranty on your batteries and chargers.
We’re also here to help de-commission your equipment. Our technicians can assist with the de-installation of chargers and batteries, and a network of service centers and distributors are available to collect spent batteries and deliver them into the recycling stream. Proper disposal of spent batteries and chargers contributes to the circular economy of the battery manufacturing process. In fact, our motive power flooded batteries are comprised of 90% recycled material, not including cables/connectors or steel trays.
Keeping Pace
Reactive maintenance is a “break/fix” approach that can cause longer downtime and minimizes availability. Repairs are done as needed, when needed, to keep your trucks moving. Basic repairs are part of the purchase cost of your batteries and chargers, assuming the asset falls under warranty.
Safety also becomes a concern if a forklift is not properly maintained. Stryten’s Motive Power Services will send highly trained technicians to inspect, repair and maintain your batteries and chargers. We also offer training for in-house resources. Ensuring your equipment is in proper working condition reduces the likelihood of workplace accidents.
Planning Ahead
Proactive maintenance allows you to avoid possible issues by identifying the root causes of failure and taking proactive action to minimize or eliminate these factors. This approach strives to extend the lifespan of your assets and minimize repetitive repairs. Our service experts have the in-depth knowledge to properly maintain the assets, ensuring they remain within the specifications of their respective warranties by utilizing our inCOMMAND technology.
We will also work alongside our customers to manage the assets in your motive power fleet. In addition to high-quality products, we offer monitoring services to ensure those products provide maximum value to your operation and minimize any downtime. With inCOMMAND, you will know where your assets are, if they are being maintained correctly, how they are configured and when they last reported up to the cloud. This in-depth visibility adds a level of assurance that the batteries and chargers are properly maintained for maximum usage.
Making the Investment
The main focus of Motive Power Services is to help keep your motive power fleet moving. Our goal is to optimize your fleet’s maximum availability and minimize downtime. We have a national call center with service centers strategically distributed across the county. Within our call center, we use automation to ensure the visibility and reportability of all service requests. We believe in providing safe and timely resolutions for our customers. We are flexible in our service approach and work with customers to establish the service levels they require for their operations. We can be available for service support 7×24 if needed.
Most organizations would agree that the cost of downtime is far more expensive than the cost of proactive maintenance. That upfront investment is worth it to maximize availability and productivity. To learn more about how to minimize downtime and get the most out of your motive power fleet, contact our knowledgeable Services team.
By Steve Battleson, Director, Americas Industrial Service
