What Makes a Battery Heavy Duty?

The term “heavy-duty” refers to items that are designed to handle difficult work or tasks, equipment that is built to be stronger and provide more power than standard equipment. By default, it would seem that anything related to industrial material handling or mining would need to be heavy duty - but are they?

REQUIRMENTS

While heavy duty batteries are more robust, not every one is designed for the same purpose. In fact, you'll find there are many different types of industrial batteries available. This can leave you wondering what sets one industrial battery apart from another? Before we answer this, let’s take a step back, and talk about a few requirements needed in these settings:

• Strong Starting Power- Mining boasts some of the largest equipment in the industrial sector, so any power supply needs to offer strong starting power.
• Long Running Time- Heavy duty batteries need a long running time to maximize operational efficiencies.
• Adaptable- Industrial material handling equipment must be able to endure changing and varied climate conditions.
• Durable-The batteries within the equipment needs to be able to withstand constant jarring and high vibrations.
• Long Product Life-Often "specialized equipment" can be code for higher pricing. Therefore, a long product life is essential to effectively managing operation costs.

It's important to know, not every heavy duty battery is made the same. A great battery offers you consistent power, incredible durability, and is designed to last. Investing in the right battery, will yield optimal results.

battery construction

If you want a product or component to last and indeed perform, you need to start with how it is constructed. There has long been an ongoing debate about tubular vs. flat plate construction for heavy duty battery applications. As a quick review, tubular construction offers more surface area for the electrolyte to connect with. This gives the battery more capacity and power output. The downside is less lead mass, decreasing current paths and overall efficiency. Flat plate construction offers stronger durability to vibration, more lead to better handle repeated charging cycles, and more consistent power discharge, but, in some cases, less power capacity.

battery Capacity

Capacity refers to the amount of discharge current a battery can deliver over time and is measured in ampere-hours (Ah). The higher the Ah, the longer a charged battery will last. In any industrial setting, a long power supply is essential to avoid needless downtime for recharging. As your discharge rate increases, your capacity will decrease due to the current transferring discharge; and as your load decreases, your capacity will decrease due to self-discharge of the cell.

battery Components

The materials themselves, along with the quality of those materials will determine the overall quality of the finished product. Just how is your battery constructed? Does your manufacturer cut corners by using a lesser grade lead or even just lead compared to other manufacturers? What about the details of the construction, such as Cast On Strap (COS) assembly, which allows for 4,000 adjustments versus a mere 40 for hand welding?

Crown Battery offers the very best in quality, high durable batteries for the heavy duty industrial market with their Max-Haul product line. Max-Haul delivers the reliability and tough, long-lasting performance of traditional flat-plate batteries with the higher capacity and cycle performance of tubular plate batteries. With 20-24% more power based on specific models, even in the toughest conditions, these batteries run longer and cooler than competitive models giving you more production and a longer battery life.

You can learn more about the entire Max Haul line at ProMat this spring in Chicago. Stay up to date on more products and learning you can experience by registering for email updates and to receive the complete show guide coming out soon.