Tips for better Battery performance.

The following is a set of guidelines for helping to reduce forklift- and battery charging-related accidents:

1. Separate the battery changing area or “battery room” from general warehouse traffic and make sure it is adequately ventilated.
2. Protect battery handling equipment with highly visible structural barriers and floors that are level, flat and acid-resistant.
3. Equip each battery room with battery wash and eye wash stations, spill kits and hydrogen gas detectors. Have available plenty of water, soda ash, baking soda and CO2, dry chemical or foam fire extinguishers.
4. Wear the right protective gear, including safety goggles, face shields, rubber or neoprene gloves and aprons.
5. Remove anything metallic, including jewelry, and keep metal objects away from uncovered batteries.
6. Take precautions with flammable materials.
7. Check electrolyte and water levels before beginning active charging, but don’t add water until after charging is complete.
8. When mixing the electrolyte, always pour acid into water, not the other way around, and pour slowly.
9. Keep the charger turned off and unplugged while attaching or detaching clamp connections.
10. For batteries with sealed vents, don’t exceed 25 amperes of current.
11. If the battery heats up, or if vents start leaking fluid, turn off the charger and start over with a lower rate of charge.
12. Keep water levels at the indicated height, but only add the deionized water after recharging is complete.
13. Record all levels in a designated service log.
14. Have regular preventative maintenance or have a qualified dealer perform that service.

Courtesy: www.mmh.com

HIGH CUT, CHIP AND CHUNK RESISTANT SOLID TYRES / TIRES

HERE IS AN ENQUIRY FROM A FORKLIFT USER..

QUOTE

... we are metal scrap trader & recycler having scrap yard storage facility at Kalyan near Mumbai, India & recycling facility at Silvassa, India. We are facing high wear and tear of our forklift tyres due to operation of forklift on shredded scrap material. We are looking out for tyres which can give longer durability in our kind of operations. Kindly advice if you offer the same and what shall be the detailed specification of the tyre offered and what will be approx. tyre life..?
UNQUOTE

Dear Client,

High cut, chip & chunk resistance is a property of the rubber compound used for the tread & sidewalls of a tyre – there are no published specifications for the same.  The tread compound design, selection of right polymer(s) and reinforcing filler(s) and compounding techniques all play a very important role to yearn this property.

As to service life in extreme duty applications, we recommend our ‘Cut & Chip Resistant’ tyre if and only if the forklift user complains of average of service life less than 3 months.  

In such cases, we assure that if he sticks to his load capacity and speed ratings and does not abuse the tyre, he can expect minimum 50% to 100% improvement with Royal Cut & Chip resistant tyres.  Many clients of ours have given excellent feedback when compared to standard market variants.  Again this is not a prediction of service life but a minimum expected performance.

Also this varies with the type & shape of metal objects.  If you handle very sharp & heavy metal pieces regularly, then they will cause tread surface to shred, affecting the service life seriously. 

But if the tyre simply runs on small metal pieces, metal trimmings, turning & boring scrap or small broken glass pieces with occassional heavy sharp objects, they will not harm the tread very much.  That is why we ask for a photograph of the area.

If very sharp metal objects or hard-rocky substances are to be handled routinely, you must look for metal chains covers for tyres.

As you see, this is a very subjective game and depends on the type of use, operational conditions and cargo handled. When you buy tyres from us, we will also give you some improvement tips / fitments which will help prolong the life of our tyres.

A NOTE ON WARRANTY CLAIMS FOR HEAVY DUTY TYRES

AS PER GLOBAL SOLID TYRE INDUSTRY NORMS (ISO, ETRTO, ETC.), A SOLID TYRE SHALL BE USED IN FORKLIFTS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS:

• THE TYRE HAS TO BE USED ON SMOOTH WELL-PAVED FLOORS, PREDOMINANTLY INDOORS. THESE TYRES ARE NOT ALL-TERRAIN OR OTR TYRES.
• THE TYRES CANNOT BE USED FOR CLIMBING SLOPES OR GRADIENTS EXCEEDING 5 DEGREES
• THE MAXIMUM DISTANCE THAT CAN BE RUN ON A SOLID TYRE IS ONLY 2 KILOMETERS WHETHER IN LOADED OR UNLADEN CONDITION.
• THE TYRES CANNOT BE USED FOR LONG DISTANCE RIDES LIKE OTHER AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES, EVEN WITHIN THE FACTORY.
• THE VEHICLE SPEED CANNOT EXCEED 25 KMPH, IN ANY CASE.
• THE TYRE TEMPERATURE SHOULD BE MONITORED TO BE LESS THAN 60 DEGREES. IF IT EXCEEDS 60 DEGREES, THE TYRE MUST BE ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE FURTHER USE.

NON FULFILMENT OF THE ABOVE CONDITIONS WILL NATURALLY VITIATE OR CANCEL OUR WARRANTY ADMISSIBILITY.

IN 'ROYAL' STANDARD GRADE TYRES, WE ADMIT WARRANTY CLAIMS UPTO A SERVICE LIFE OF 6 MONTHS OR 1,300 HOURS, IF AND ONLY IF IT IS ESTABLISHED BY US THAT THERE IS A MATERIAL OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT.  BUT IN MOST CASES, THERE IS NO MATERIAL / MANUFACTURING DEFECTS BECAUSE:

• IF THERE IS A MATERIAL DEFECT, THE TYRES WOULD FAIL ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY, IN ANY CASE WITHIN 2 DAYS. 
• IF THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, THE TYRES WOULD FAIL WITHIN 1 WEEKS OR IN ANY CASE WITHIN 2 – 3 WEEKS.

FOR BOTH OF THE ABOVE SITUATIONS, WE PROVIDE 100% WARRANTY REPLACEMENT, WITHOUT ANY INVESTIGATIONS.

FOR OTHER WARRANTY CLAIMS, WE ONLY ADMIT THAT THE TYRE HAD NOT PERFORMED TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE CUSTOMER:

• EITHER THE TREAD GETS WORN OUT FASTER OR 
• THE CUSTOMER HAS BEEN USING THE TYRE WITHOUT NOTICING THAT THE TYRE IS GETTING OVER-HEATED: ULTIMATELY, THE TYRE WOULD FAIL WITH A BLOW OUT ON THE SIDE-WALL OR THROUGH THE WORN-OUT TREAD.

STRICTLY SPEAKING THERE IS NO WARRANTY CLAIM FOR BOTH THE ABOVE SITUATION. HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO HELP AND ENCOURAGE OUR CUSTOMERS, WE OFFER A PRO-RATED WARRANTY BASED ON THE TREAD WEAR OR THE NO. OF HOURS USED AS EVIDENCED BY LOG BOOK.

WE RECOMMEND A HEAVY-DUTY TYRE OVER A STANDARD TYRE ONLY WHEN:

• THE TYRES ARE USED ON FORKLIFTS RUNNING MORE OR LESS CONTINUOUSLY FOR 24 HOURS PER DAY. ‘ROYAL’ HEAVY-DUTY TYRE MANAGES INTERNAL HEAT BETTER ON CONTINUOUS USAGE.  
•  
• ‘ROYAL’ HEAVY-DUTY TYRES ARE USED ON FORKLIFTS THAT RUN ON HARD CEMENT OR BLUE-METAL REINFORCED CONCRETE FLOORS LIKE DOCKS / WHARFS / OPEN CONTAINER YARDS / SCRAP YARDS. IN THIS CASE THE NORMAL TREAD GETS ABRADED FASTER: SO WE INTRODUCED A MUCH DURABLE TREAD, WHICH IS MORE ABRASION-RESISTANT. 
•  
•  ‘ROYAL’ HEAVY-DUTY TYRES ARE ALSO RECOMMENDED FOR REAR TYRES, PARTICULARLY SMALL TYRES OF 8” TO 12” WHEEL SIZES. BECAUSE THESE TYRES ARE CONTINUOUSLY MANOEUVRED FOR STEERING SMALL BATTERY OPERATED FORKLIFTS (WITH & WITHOUT LOADS) APART FROM REGULAR RIDES, THAT THEY GET OVER-HEATED EASILY, AND GET DEGRAGED.  HERE THE ‘ROYAL’ HEAVY-DUTY TYRES PERFORM WELL, AS THEY MANAGE INTERNAL HEAT BETTER. 
•  
• ‘ROYAL’ HEAVY DUTY TYRE IS STILL NOT RECOMMENDED FOR HIGH CHIP & CUT RESISTANCE. FOR TYRES USED ON GLASS OR METAL SCRAP YARDS OR ROCKY SURFACES, WHERE THE TYRE TREAD GETS CUT OR TORN OR CHIPPED OFF,  THERE IS ANOTHER GRADE CALLED: CUT & CHIP RESITANT HEAVY-DUTY TYRE.

SO, AS YOU WOULD SEE ABOVE, THE HEAVY DUTY TYRE IS USED ONLY FOR SPECIAL APPLICATIONS, WHERE NORMAL DEGREE OF RELIABILITY IS EXPECTED IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS.  BUT CERTAINLY, THE HEAVY-DUTY TYRE IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE WORKING BEYOND A NORMAL SOLID TYRE’S LIFE CYCLE OF 6 MONTHS – 9 MONTHS +/- 3 MONTHS.

THE REASON, ALL RUBBER TYRES START AGEING WITHIN 6 MONTHS AND THE EFFECTS OF AGEING STARTS AFFECTING THE SERVICE LIFE OF ANY RUBBER PRODUCTS WHETHER HEAVY-DUTY OR STANDARD, AFTER A PERIOD OF 09 MONTHS – 12 MONTHS.

SO THE WARRANTY CLAIM FOR HEAVY-DUTY TYRES IS HARDLY DIFFERENT FROM STANDARD TYRE, BECAUSE THE ULTIMATE TEST IS WHETHER THE TYRE HAS A MATERIAL OR A MANUFACTURING DEFECT: IF IT HAS, IT WILL FAIL WITHIN 2 – 3 WEEKS MAX. IF IT DOESN’T, THERE IS NO MATERIAL OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT!  SO GIVING EXTENDED SERVICE HOURS IN HEAVY-DUTY TYRES FOR WARRANTY CLAIM HAS NO MEANING.

OUR WARRANTY CLAIM LIMITATION PERIOD WOULD REMAIN AS 1,300 HOURS OF DULY LOGGED SERVICE OR 6 MONTHS FROM DATE OF SALE BY OUR DEALER, WHICHEVER OCCURS EARLIER.

Regulation 1907/2006/EC (REACH)

The entire tyre industry is abuzz with European REACH regulations on Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) and more importantly on the restriction in placing tyres made with oils containing PAHs in the EU zone. The general impression created in the minds of an average tyre consumer or tyre importer is that all tyres are brought under this restriction. True the restrictions applies to Cars, Heavy & Light Commercial Vehicles, Tractor / Forestry equipment, Motorcycle and other special-purpose vehicle tyres. But why no one talks about the exempt categories of tyres: are your children's bicycle tyres coming under this regulation? Are your child's toy tri-cycle tyres coming under this restriction? The fact is that Aviation / Aircraft tyres are not under restriction.. do you know? There should be a few other categories exempt as well, but which the industry & general public might be using.. do you know any such category or do you know the criteria on which such exemption is given? Think or wait for more posts in this blogspot!

THE POWER OF AVIATION TYRES TO YOUR GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENTS

Airport Ground Support Equipment (GSEs) require the best category of tyres, particularly when they happen to be Solid Tyres. 

Solid Tyre industry across the globe thrive by adopting low cost raw materials, because the European Tyre & Rim Technical Organisation (ETRTO) and equivalent standards give wide flexibility in terms of the solid tyre's dimensions and load carrying capacity. 

However what normally tends to be overlooked is the Speed rating for these tyres. But as long as these tyres are used in slow moving forklifts and industrial equipments, the tyres work fine. 

The problem comes only when these tyres are used in demanding situtions such as in Ground Handling & Support in Airports.

With an extreme fluctuation in Climatic conditions (upto 110 degrees farenheit in the day and sub-zero temperatures in night), GSE equipments face the wrath of the nature, head-on: the tyres take all the toll. 

Further, as Airport Contractors are paid for by the speed of their execution, the tyres are challenged to the maximum! All the low cost tyres tend to fail on these intensive (high speed upto 25 to 30 Kmph) and 24x7 applications. We at Royal Tyres have carefully studied all these challenges for more than 20+ yrs.  And we have catered regularly to requirements of GSE Tyres by Air India and Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) and Bahrain Airports.

We have engineered special technology compounds that weather the wrath of airport use, misuse and abuse. 'Royal' solid tyres incorporate the same Polyamide Short fiber reinforcement technology that goes into aviation tyres to withstand high heat build-up and superior abrasion even on extremely hot environments. 

Given this dramatic turnoaround technology, your Baggage Tractors and Trolleys run on 24x7 applications like sprinters! Come talk to us and see that your operational downtimes are dramatically reduced and efficiency peaking to newer heights! Email us for more info: exports@royaltyres.com.

Tips to avoid forklift abuse

Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks has released a list of tips on recognizing and avoiding common forklift abuse.

"The truth is that downtime is often a direct result of user application and a lack of understanding," says Kevin Krakora, Mitsubishi’s product services director.

"By implementing a few simple, proactive measures in day-to-day operations, companies will help productivity and keep equipment running efficiently," Krakora explains.

Tyres: Replace worn tyres that cause jarring impacts to the wheel, axle components, load and operator. Demanding applications require using the proper tyres for a forklift’s maximum performance. To be certain that your equipment has the correct tyres, request an application survey from your local dealer.

Forks: Operating the forklift with worn tyres can cause premature wear to the bottom of the forks, which can jeopardize the forklift’s ability to lift and thus create an unsafe working environment. Routine fork inspections by operators and in-house technicians are needed to ensure the forklift is operating with safe forks.

Transmission: Costly damage to the transmission system can be caused by operators riding the inching pedal. To prevent major component failure, the inching pedal should only be used when approaching a rack and when wanting to apply the brakes while revving the engine (allowing the hydraulics to work at full speed). The brake pedal is used for regular stopping of the truck when hydraulics are not in use.

Impact: Tyres, wheels, body panels, forks, attachments and backrests suffer when forklifts encounter impact to products and surroundings due to high travel speeds. Assigning equipment to an operator can help track who is causing the abuse. Installing an impact monitor, vehicle speed limiter or keyless access system as options on the forklift can help reduce impact damage.

Training: Regular and ongoing training is key to ensure that equipment is properly maintained and that equipment users are in step with proper safety and maintenance applications. It is imperative that all new operators are well trained on how to perform the required daily inspections and properly operate the equipment prior to use.

COURTESY: FORKLIFTACTION.COM ; NEWS STORY ; Newsletter #430

TYRES FOR BETTER & EFFICIENT MATERIAL HANDLING

Forklifts, High-reach Stackers, Platform/Pallet/Tow Trucks, Trolleys & Trailers, etc., are the ‘prime movers’ of modern material handling industry and applications. All these equipments use tyres.. but selecting the right tyre for the right material handling application is the least understood subject. 

Misapplication happens quite frequently and the entire burden of tyre failure is passed on to the tyre manufacturer. Tyres selection is not an easy job, and there’s nothing like a ‘perfect tyre’ with long tread life, great traction (anti-skid & braking properties) and lifelong durability and reliability.

The secret to successful tyre selection is selecting the appropriate tyre for the intended use. Forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers used in major industries and distribution centers run relentlessly ensuring smooth flow of products through the system. But the role of tyres in this process is grossly underestimated by Material Handling Managers. 

Material handling industry rolls on ‘Industrial Tyres.’ The small industrial tyre is the only source of cushioning and support for a forklift and its loads. So due care in this area is not only crucial but can a be risk-aversion policy too. Industrial Tyres fall in three broad categories: 

 • Press-on tyres consist of a steel band with rubber or polyurethane bonded to it: they are available in either black rubber or non-marking varieties (for clean environments). They are also the standards for other slow moving battery operated equipments like stackers, order-pickers, pallet & platform trucks, etc. But Press-on’s are not for rough surfaces or high speeds exceeding 10Kmph. Press-on’s are more common in Battery operated forklifts and MHEs: the reason, their low rolling-resistance which directly translates to savings on energy or lesser drain on the charge in battery. Press-on’s can be fitted only on equipments designed for that purpose. 

 • Solid Cushion tyres for material handling applications are also called ‘resilients,’ or ‘solid- shaped pneumatics.’ They are completely solid inside, with multi-layered rubber construction to give you the desired properties: abrasion-resistance, cushioning & load carrying capacity. Solid Cushion Tyres can be used both indoors and outdoors. However, they operate best on ‘Paved surfaces,’ such as asphalt or concrete. But they don’t endure well when used on gravel or rocks or bumpy pathways. Solid Cushion Tyres can be fitted on existing equivalent pneumatic tyre rims. 

 • Pneumatic tyres are designed like conventional automobile tyres, with air-inflated tube inside. They are the best option for faster rides: when forklifts travel long distances, say beyond 2 Kilometers on a single trip with load, Pneumatic tyres are the only option. Ordinary Solid Cushion tyres will get extremely hot in these situations and they get damaged beyond repair or reconstruction. With pneumatic tyres, you also the advantage of best ride quality, which you cannot expect in Solid Tyres, although there are special variants of solid tyres that impart good cushioning but cost more.

NORMS: All tyres are manufactured with three globally accepted norms: (i) Dimensions, (ii) Load Carrying Capacity and (iii) Speed rating. But where and how the tyres get used can make a lot of difference on the tyre life and its critical performance parameters. 

Solid Tyres are designed primarily for PAVED or PREPARED FLOORS that are smooth and it is also presumed that the vehicles sporting these tyres would not be driven at speeds more than 16 KMPH., and in press-on’s, not more than 10 KMPH. But often, these tyres are abused (over-speeded or over-loaded) or misused (driven on long stretches of poorly paved asphalt roads, despite their ‘OFF-ROAD TYRE’ category origins). 

PNEUMATIC OR SOLID: A tyre’s dimensions and speed & load ratings are more often chosen by the MH equipment manufacturers based on the payload for a MH equipment. But on specific considerations, we choose between Pneumatic and Solid Tyres or how to swap them and when. Most Diesel or Propane powered forklifts come factory-fitted with Pneumatic tyres, when cost considerations & abusive patterns are evident.

These get swapped with Solid Tyres, when more reliance is placed on ‘maintenance-free’ service, lesser down-times and longer life: but pre-requisites are good shop-floors and sacrifice of speed and in some cases, the operator comfort. COSTS: Solid Industrial Tyres generally cost 30% to 50% more than pneumatic tyres; however, they tend to last longer. More importantly, they eliminate downtime caused by flats and blowouts. Solid tyres can last upto 40% longer than pneumatic tyres. 

But a pneumatic tyre offers more comfortable ride, while a solid tyre is harder on the vehicle and the operator. Solid tyres also warrant special mounting devices, but solid tyres suppliers, these days, offer pressing as an add-on service.

So, tyres are all about compromise, and a material handling manager should consider which tyre attributes are most important for each application (see illustration above). 

It would be in one’s own interest to provide his supplier with as much information as possible about the nature of his specific usage and what he expects out the new set of tyres. Most tyre manufacturers for this reason, offer different grades of tyres: ‘Normal / Light Duty,’ ‘Medium Duty / Premium Grade’ or ‘Heavy-duty / Cut-resistant,’ ‘Heat-resistant,’ etc; they will also advise you on the type of rims / wheels / special tyre sizes best suited for your needs.. choose the one that suits one’s budget and needs!