Rotronics reveals route to battery optimisation
Battery management specialist Rotronics has outlined how improved workshop processes can help keep down the costs of battery failures and related expenses.
One of the first options that springs to mind for workshops when a battery fails is to replace it; and if this keeps happening, changing the battery type might be considered. Both may be the wrong approach, according to Ken Clark of Rotronics, whose team works hand-in-hand with many national fleet operators and commercial vehicle workshops to get the best performance out of their batteries.
The UK’s partners of Midtronics and Ctek technology, Rotronics helps customers solve a multitude of issues, such as increasing battery-related costs and potential fines due to late deliveries and inefficient warranty processes due to imperfect battery management processes in workshops.
“Many of our customers come to us to check to see if the type of battery they are already using in their vehicles is the best option,” said Ken Clark.
“We always scrutinise battery management processes first because often the battery type is not the issue. We wouldn’t advocate changing the battery type before making sure that any new battery going into a vehicle is going to be looked after in the best possible way. And that means testing and charging regularly.”
Throughout the difficult months of Covid, Rotronics has worked with several commercial vehicle, emergency services and PSV customers to reduce their increasing costs and improve their efficiencies.
“If the current battery type isn’t performing well because it isn’t being looked after, there is no point in changing the type and continuing not to look after it,” said Ken.
“Don’t change it – look after it. The technology may not be the problem, it is more often how the battery is being tested and charged, the use, the application or poor maintenance.”
Ken cited an emergency vehicle customer based in the south, whose costs continued to rise. The fleet was using standard flooded maintained batteries, and contacted Rotronics for help when its battery-related costs continued to escalate.
“‘It’s an obvious statement, but the critical emergency service vehicles have to get to their destination on time,” Ken continued.
“Battery failures should not be part of their workshop concerns, but they all too frequently are. Because of this, the managers were keen to explore the ‘maintenance-free’ option for the fleet. It was disappointing news for them when we told them that ‘maintenance-free’ doesn’t really exist – you still need to maintain them.”
Said Ken: “Looking after the batteries of emergency vehicles is complex as the drive cycles all vary, the daily loads, the routes will differ, and the engine offload will all be different and so that means that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to maintenance.
“The maintenance free batteries still need a battery management programme, as does each type of battery. They all have positives and negatives in terms of their performance, but you will need specific management of each battery type.”
‘Maintained’ batteries, as the name suggests, do need more maintenance than the EFB or AGM options, says Rotronics, but they are better for high charging and discharging situations. When the electrolyte vaporises, it simply gets topped up.
EFB and AGM batteries have much more resilience to the discharge cycles of the vehicle, meanwhile. There is a higher price tag and workshops must employ good battery management processes to achieve a positive return on investment.
To assess which batteries are best for your fleet, Rotronics highlights the importance of understanding whether it is the battery technology or the testing and charging practices that are problematic; and identifying what improvement you would hope to see from a new battery type, such as increased reliability and longer life.
The company also advises ensuring that battery performance is tracked before and after the change.
The Rotronics team works closely with many transport operators using its interactive online dashboard, ROBIS, to help problem-solve and understand the best solutions to fleets’ battery issues.
ROBIS provides data on each battery’s performance and real-time evidence which helps assess whether the investment in new technology is going to achieve the expected savings and reliability.
ROBIS monitors the battery health of any fleet, highlighting issues and therefore indicating improvements can be put in place through an improved battery management process. It can also help assess how workshops are performing against national averages, and will be able to gather impartial proof or any evidence needed for warranty claims.
Ken Clark added: “We always think of ROBIS as an additional technician who works 24/7 and is responsible for ensuring that your vehicles get to where they need to be and start first time, every time.
“Using ROBIS correctly, you won’t have late delivery fines… because of consistent battery management quality standards and workshop practices.”
