Flux Power Holdings, Inc. has completed the third successful implementation of its LiFT Pack solutions in a commercial environment. Flux Power’s new LiFT Pack 250Ahe-24V, an advanced lithium battery pack developed specifically for material handling equipment, was used in pilot program by DC Logistics, which operates and maintains a growing fleet of transportation, warehousing/inventory management, and regional distribution equipment throughout the southwest.
Southwest Material Handling, a forklift dealer providing a total solution for warehouse and material handling equipment, provided the equipment used in the implementation at DC Logistics. The LiFT Pack 250Ahe-24V packs were installed in a Toyota electric walkie pallet-jack.
“DC Logistics business depends on being flexible to serve a wide variety of transportation and logistics needs for businesses nationwide. The company was experiencing frequent issues with battery failures and loss of power in their equipment. Flux’s LiFT pack provided us with a great opportunity to offer our customer a solution and enabled us to stand out from the competition,” said Sue Herron, sales manager of Southwest Material Handling. “We were pleased to receive feedback from the equipment operators that even when the packs had only 25 percent charge remaining, the equipment still performed as if it was charged to full power.”
Following two other successful pilot implementations, the LiFT Pack 250Ahe-24V was put to use in a variety of delivery environments at DC Logistics and consistently demonstrated its ability to outperform and outlast premium lead-acid batteries. Equipment operators noted the impressive duration of its charge and its ability to continuously operate at peak performance levels.
“We often have up to 28 trucks on the road each day, making 20-25 stops for a variety of needs. A typical delivery load can weigh as much as 1,500 pounds and many of our customer sites do not have a loading dock or other convenient access, so our drivers need to park nearby and use pallet jacks to reach the location. Once there, the equipment may need to remain in continuous use for several hours and run at full capacity. As a result, it is critical that our equipment remains fully charged and operable for the entire day,” said Ray Lopez, DC Logistics. “Lead-acid batteries installed in our pallet jack equipment must receive a full charge each night in order to meet the often rigorous logistical demands the following day. With the Flux LiFT Pack, our equipment was able to be in use all week, operating at full capacity, even when only a quarter of the charge remained.
“Equally important to us is our commitment to supporting cleaner air in California. We are continuously seeking ways to improve our rolling fleet efficiency and are active participants in the SmartWay program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This voluntary program was developed to improve fuel consumption efficiency and reduce overall transportation related emissions in fleet operating companies. Using highly efficient, longer lasting lithium-ion battery packs like the LiFT Pack 250Ahe-24V from Flux greatly supports our efforts in seeking energy efficient improvements in our equipment,” added Ray.
“More and more customers are impressed by Flux Power’s LiFT Pack’s ability to last significantly longer than a typical lead-acid battery, enabling them to continuously run their equipment through more than one shift,” said Chris Anthony, CEO of Flux Power. “Additionally, because of the efficiency of the pack, fewer charge cycles are required, thereby extending the life of the pack. This is a tremendous benefit to our cost of use and efficiency.
“Since the LiFT Pack was designed as a universal, state-of-the-art battery pack, it will fit a broad range of walkie manufacturer battery enclosure sizes. This has enabled us to quickly deploy new packs to a growing list of material handling equipment manufacturers. I am very pleased with the universally positive feedback we are receiving from these pilots as we move towards the next phase of our product launch program,” Anthony concluded.
Flux Power’s LiFT Pack is based on soft-packed, electrolyte-starved LiFePO4 rechargeable pouch cell technology and is ideal for large energy storage systems used in the material handling equipment industry. As the only company today providing lithium battery packs directly to the material handling market, its high-performance products offer a cost-efficient and reliable alternative to lead-acid batteries.
