For 35 years, the medium-sized family business Cartoflex has been processing corrugated cardboard into intelligent packaging systems. In the recently built production hall in Lüneburg, the subsidiary Lünewell now produces more than 150 million square meters of corrugated board per year. The expertise acquired over many years regarding the specific requirements of the corrugated profile for the packaging industry is now also being incorporated into the company's own corrugated board production.

The sensitive products are transported using 30 electric industrial trucks from Still. Thanks to the full service, they are always available and the costs are easy to calculate. Trucks deliver around 72 paper rolls to the production hall every day. The impressive rolls weigh up to 3.8 tons and are 2.50 meters high. Two new RX-60-80 electric forklift trucks from Still were purchased specifically for the demanding handling of the heavy rolls, each equipped with an air-cooled Power Plus Life battery from Still for the high handling capacity. The powerful forklifts handle truck unloading and transport to the supply warehouse, where up to three paper rolls with a total height of 7.50 meters are stacked on top of each other to save space. They also load the production machine with paper rolls.

Until now, high handling capacities were mainly possible with diesel forklifts. For indoor use, the engines often had to be equipped with additional components such as diesel catalytic converters, particulate filters and SCR catalytic converters (Selective Catalytic Reduction) to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOX). Andreas Isermann, Head of Maintenance, adds: "In addition to the strict regulations and the polluted air that would contaminate the paper rolls, we would also have had to install a tank system. Diesel forklifts are also louder than comparable electric forklifts and increase the already high ambient temperature caused by the production of the corrugated cardboard."

The battery is changed from the side. (Image: Still/Gerd Knehr)

The topic of electromobility is gaining momentum - electric energy storage systems are becoming more and more efficient and prices will certainly fall in the future due to volume effects. The costs of servicing and maintaining electric vehicles are considerably lower than those of diesel vehicles. As energy storage systems become more efficient, more powerful components are also being installed. As a result, electric vehicles, which have a higher efficiency than fossil fuel drives, will increasingly penetrate the domains of combustion engine vehicles.

The core temperature of lead-acid batteries can become too high when electric forklift trucks are used hard, i.e. with high power consumption such as when handling heavy paper rolls. Until now, only additional or particularly cost-intensive special batteries with an increased energy density have provided a remedy.

The Power Plus Life battery, on the other hand, relies on proven lead-acid technology and offers a cost-effective solution thanks to its patented self-cooling system. In the new Still battery, several temperature-controlled fans effectively cool the core temperature of the battery in every situation. Air cooling cools the battery in the vehicle, at the charger or at the staging area. Cooling cycles after driving and after the charging process are therefore no longer necessary. Andreas Isermann: "The battery technology from Still arrived just in time. The capacity is now sufficient for a full shift. Afterwards, the batteries can be quickly recharged. Additional replacement batteries are therefore no longer necessary."

By reducing the core temperature by up to 20 degrees Celsius, the Power Plus Life battery is drastically protected. This results in a significant increase in capacity. Acceleration and lifting speed can be increased by up to 25 percent. If required, the maximum travel speed can be increased by 18 percent from 17 to 20 kilometers per hour.

The eight-tonne RX 60-80 electric forklift trucks thus achieve a comparable handling capacity, which was previously reserved for powerful forklifts with combustion engines. Isermann emphasizes: "The decisive factor is the reduction of the core temperature in the forklift battery. In Still's Power-Plus-Life battery, the capacity does not drop as a result of the cooling. As a result of the lower temperatures, the physical load is not as great. The batteries therefore also need to be replaced less frequently. Together with the quick lateral battery change and the maneuverability of the RX 60-80, the bottom line is an increase in handling capacity."

By reducing the operating temperature in the battery, a longer service life of up to two years can be achieved, even in the toughest applications. "Thanks to the elimination of the long cool-down cycles, we only need two replacement batteries for the two RX 60-80s instead of five. This not only protects the batteries during operation, but also our budget," concludes the Head of Maintenance with satisfaction. as