When do you opt for a built-in or stand-alone traction battery charger?

Do you wish to extend the lifespan of your batteries? Do you want to obtain a maximum return from your machine? The traction battery charger plays a crucial part in this. Charging properly means that the empty battery will regain the correct amount of energy in the available time. 

The type of charger that is most suitable for your machine, either a built-in or a stand-alone traction battery charger, depends on the different factors:

• The type of machine
• The working conditions
• The available space for the charger
• ...

Type of machine

In most cases, lift truck batteries are charged using a stand-alone traction battery charger. Provide charging area and preferably place the traction battery charger on a platform or attach it to the wall. If the driver receives the signal that the battery must be charged, he then drives to the charging station to recharge the battery.

For applications with aerial work platforms, sweepers & scrubbers and golf carts, a stand-alone traction battery charger is not very practical, that is why we recommend a built-in charger in those cases. The advantage of this type of charger is that you always have the charger at hand with your machine, which is ideal for rental applications. So the built-in charger is ready to charge the battery at any given time. As a result, you no longer have to provide an external charger and charging area, which saves you plenty of space and time. In most cases, it is sufficient to simply connect the charger to a socket to start charging. 

Working conditions

Aerial work platforms, sweepers & scrubbers and golf carts are often used outdoors. As a consequence, they regularly come in contact with water. That is why built-in chargers mostly come with a higher IP value. 

Available space for charger

Some machines don't provide sufficient space to accommodate a traction battery charger, so for these, a compact built-in charger is extremely convenient. Since the charger is built into the machine, you can charge the battery virtually anywhere. No need to return to the fixed charging station, so you save a lot of time.

Delta-Q built-in chargers

TVH offers the IC-series of Delta-Q built-in chargers, which are currently among the best built-in chargers in the world. The innovative and waterproof die-cast aluminium housings of Delta-Q offer an optimal reliability. Thanks to a patented USB host port, the charger can easily download months worth of charging data to a USB flash drive. The big advantage: you can easily read out potential error messages from the charger, such as a loss of mains voltage or a faulty battery. The USB host port can also be used to update and program the charger software and charge profiles. Thanks to a unique charging profile, your batteries will last months to even years longer. This charger is available in different versions.

A short summary of the benefits of these built-in chargers:

• Industrial traction battery chargers with exceptionally compact dimensions
• The performed charging cycles can easily be reviewed thanks to the detailed data logging, so that any error messages can easily be traced
• Unique charging profiles, approved by the large battery brands
• Resistant to strong vibrations, extreme temperatures, chemicals and dust
• Watertight, allowing you to leave your machine outdoors to charge
• Suitable for lithium-ion, lead-acid, gel and AGM batteries
• Equipped with a patented USB host port

Interested in a built-in or stand-alone traction battery charger?

You can find an overview of all types of chargers from the range on the Energic Plus website. Based on the type of machine and the intensity of use, you can look up your desired traction battery charger here. Do you still have doubts if a built-in charger is the best choice for your machine? Please contact your TVH sales advisor. We will gladly help you.

Charlotte, TVH blogger