IFOY Audit
Finalists undergo the three-stage IFOY Audit as part of the IFOY Audit, which takes place during the TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS. This consists of the scientific IFOY Innovation Check, the IFOY Test and the jury test.
Power Plus Life battery
STILL GmbH
In tough conditions and in three-shift-operation conventional lead-acid batteries soon reach their physical limits. In some cases, cooling cycles are not long enough even with the use of one or two spare batteries. With the self-cooling PowerPlusLife battery, Still provides a completely new solution.
The solution focuses on the tried and tested lead-acid battery technology (PzS battery) with a patented self-cooling system. By reducing the battery temperature, it provides a boost in battery performance and service life.
The Power Plus Life battery reaches a significant increase in overall performance even in tough conditions and multi-shift operation the turnover performance reaches levels that were up to now restricted to large diesel trucks.
Runs faster a boost in turnover performance
In terms of performance, a substantial gain compared to conventional lead-acid batteries is achieved. Lift speed and acceleration
can be increased by up to 25 percent. In addition, the maximum driving speed of the 8-ton RX 60-80 electric truck increases from 17 to 20 km/h. This corresponds to an increase of 18 percent.
Extended service life the energy-saving power package
An operating temperature reduction of up to 20°C saves energy. In this way it is possible to reach an extended service life of up to two years even in toughest
conditions.
Product name and company
Power Plus Life battery – STILL GmbH
Category
Special of the Year
Description
Innovations
Market relevance
Customer benefits
Test report
STILL developed the PowerPlusLife battery specifically for extremely heavy-duty forklift operations of the type encountered in the beverage industry or in three-shift duty. This battery is designed to serve as an alternative for companies who want to switch to electric forklift trucks but who still use diesel-powered truck for heavy-duty activities.
With conventional lead-acid batteries, there is a major risk that the batteries become (too) hot in extreme deployment situations – with the result that the battery power is reduced and, moreover, the service life of the battery adversely affected.
According to Still, the PowerPlusLife battery eliminates these risks. The integrated cooling modules are designed to constantly keep the battery in a safe temperature zone.
Installation of the cooling modules is made possible by the use of smaller battery cells. Air is drawn in via these cooling modules and routed through the battery. The continuous air supply ensures that the temperature in the battery does not exceed 50 degrees Celsius.
As the service life of a battery largely depends on its average operating temperature, the constant cooling function of the PowerPlusLife battery also prolongs the service life. We were unable to measure this effect during the IFOY Test, but the manufacturer says that the effect is significant: while a conventional lead-acid battery reaches an average temperature of 50 degrees Celsius under extreme conditions, the average temperature of the PowerPlusLife battery is a only 30 degrees Celsius. According to Still, this extends the service life of the battery from three to five years.
The benefits for the user are self-evident: the longer service life and the safe temperature range mean that fewer or even no spare batteries are needed, thus reducing overall investment. In addition, less space is automatically required for the storage of replacement batteries.
As the PowerPlusLife battery is designed specifically for extreme deployments, it is only available in a 1,085 Ah/80 V version.
According to Still, the performance capability of the battery is far higher than that of a regular battery, with performance boosts of 25 percent in lifting speed and acceleration. In the 8-ton electric stacker RX 60-80, an 18 percent increase in maximum driving speed is achievable – from 17 km/h to 20 km/h.
IFOY test verdict
Batteries for heavy-duty and extreme applications have to be cooled in order to safeguard operating life and performance capability. The PowerPlusLife battery offers a practicable solution in this area.
IFOY Innovation Check
Market Relevance
The PowerPlusLife battery from STILL is a further development of conventional lead-acid batteries. What is new about this battery is the self-cooling system that ensures improved characteristics, above all in heavy-duty operations with high power requirements. The self-cooling feature reduces the temperature of the battery by up to 20°C during operation. This prolongs service life and enhances operational performance.
As the PowerPlusLife battery has the same dimensions as conventional batteries and also weighs the same, it can be used in vehicles without the need for any conversion work. Nevertheless, the market relevance is not very high, as the concept is mainly relevant for bulky high-performance batteries – with poor heat dissipation from the core area – and high power requirements in continuous-operation scenarios.
Customer Benefit
According to the manufacturer, the new system has three advantages. The longer service life of the battery paves the way for increased performance during the period of use. In addition, the higher energy transfer to the truck enables it to reach higher travel speeds, better acceleration and higher lifting speeds – all of which have to be restricted with conventional batteries in order to avoid overheating. Moreover, the active cooling function that can constantly keep the battery temperature below the damage threshold during the interplay of discharging and charging in periods of heavy use additionally prolongs service life. The system can remain in use for two years longer than conventional batteries.
Overall, this signals a significant improvement compared to conventional lead-acid batteries. Customers can use the batteries for longer and at higher performance levels than is currently the case. Customer benefit, above all in multi-shift operations, is therefore to be rated as “very good”.
Degree of Novelty
The idea of self-cooling batteries is not new, but no such concepts have been available to date for lead-acid batteries. This development represents a true innovation, particularly in the market for warehouse trucks. Accordingly, the degree of innovation is to be rated as “good”.
Functionality / Type of Implementation
The design of the battery allows its use without any problem in the vehicles in Still’s high-performance series. These trucks currently use the conventional battery type, and no conversion work is necessary on the vehicle. The space needed for the cooling feature in the familiar steel trough for the battery cells is gained by using smaller battery cells. The loss in storage capacity is offset by the improved properties achieved thanks to cooling. In the freed-up space, an electric fan generates an air flow to cool the space between the battery cells.
| Functionality / type of implementation | + |
| Novelty / Innovation | + |
| Customer benefits | ++ |
| Market relevance | + |
| ++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / — not available | |
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Image/video credits: STILL GmbH
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Committees
The International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year has three bodies: Jury, sponsors, and advisory board.