Lithium-ion Solutions from Jungheinrich at CeMAT 2014
Jungheinrich is forging ahead in the area of alternative drives and energy storage systems. From May 19 to 23, the Hamburg-based intralogistics specialist will showcase its latest innovations and product refinements in lithium-ion technology to an international trade audience at CeMAT in Hanover, Germany – including a facelift of the world’s first mass-produced lithium-ion industrial truck and a new lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 110 ampere hours for pedestrian controlled forklifts and platform trucks. According to Dr. Klaus-Dieter Rosenbach, member of the Jungheinrich Board of Management in charge of Engineering, “this innovation represents a continuation of the Jungheinrich success story in lithium-ion technology, originally launched at CeMAT 2008.”
At CeMAT 2014 Jungheinrich is showcasing a refined version of its EJE 112i battery-powered pedestrian-controlled platform truck. The Hamburg-based enterprise unveiled its EJE 112i to a worldwide audience for the first time at CeMAT 2011 and since summer 2011 has successfully marketed it in selected European nations. Due to its compact front end the stacker is particularly popular for classic “chain store” operations as well as for applications requiring a “portable” stacker to travel on-board with the lorry.
The facelift version of the EJE 112i on show at CeMAT will also come in an additional version in summer 2014 – with the battery firmly integrated with the vehicle and no longer changeable. The truck will also have an integrated charger, “so the operator can charge the battery at any conventional mains socket,” reports Karl Heinz Schwulera, Head of the Energy and Drive Systems division at Jungheinrich. Some 50 per cent of the entire battery capacity can be charged in just 30 minutes. The battery is moreover completely maintenance.free and easy to handle.
The interaction of the individual battery cells with one another as well as with the truck is managed by an integrated Jungheinrich battery management system, ensuring easy and convenient truck operation. Following CeMAT 2014 the new EJE 112i will be available in several European countries.
Schwulera comments on the new version: “Since the battery and the vehicle are both more compactly designed and an additional charger is no longer required, we were able to reduce costs by around 10 percent.” In combination with lower prices on the world market for lithium-ion cells, this means a further reduction in the price of this state-of-the-art battery technology.
Lithium-ion Batteries Replace Maintenance-free Lead Acid Batteries
Additionally Jungheinrich is showcasing a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 110 ampere hours for pedestrian controlled forklifts and platform trucks. This new Jungheinrich energy storage system represents an economical new replacement for lead acid batteries (gel type) with a capacity of up to 250 ampere hours. The energy consumption of lithium-ion batteries is up to 30 percent lower compared with conventional lead acid batteries.
Given the same discharge depth, maintenance-free lead acid batteries (gel type) have a shorter service life than conventional lead acid batteries. “In fact, the service life of lithium-ion batteries is actually three times as long!”, declares Karl Heinz Schwulera. Lithium-ion batteries moreover have a greater discharge capacity. Whereas lead acid batteries (gel type) generally only use some 60 per cent of the energy stored in them, lithium-ion batteries achieve energy utilisation of approximately 90 per cent. “A number of tests have revealed that the use of our new lithium-ion batteries is economical for clients who place a premium on maintenance-free batteries,” continues Schwulera.
Jungheinrich Now with Own Energy and Drive Systems Division
The Hamburg-based intralogistics specialist was the first company to implement and continually refine lithium-ion technology in the context of mass-produced industrial trucks. In the intervening years Jungheinrich has accumulated world-leading expertise in electromobility applications for lithium-ion batteries. This competence has been distilled into a new Energy and Drive Systems division, organising a total of some 200 staff members at the Norderstedt plant near Hamburg. Jungheinrich Energy and Drive Systems develops hardware and software solutions including drive systems, controllers and charging technology for electromobility applications. Jungheinrich lithium-ion solutions are developed and produced at the company’s own competence centre. A proprietary Jungheinrich battery management system guarantees the careful coordination of lithium-ion battery types, charging technology and vehicles. Apart from yielding a high degree of efficiency, this also results in maximum safety – as verified by a series of comprehensive hardness tests at Jungheinrich’s own as well as external labs.
Jungheinrich ranks among the world’s leading companies in the material handling equipment, warehousing and material flow engineering sectors. The company is an intralogistics service and solution provider with manufacturing operations, which offers its customers a comprehensive range of forklift trucks, logistics systems, services and advice. Jungheinrich shares are traded on all German stock exchanges.
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