OneCharge launches the AMERICAN STANDARD and 4500 PALLET JACK Series of Industrial Lithium Batteries
The OneCharge product line exceeds 600 different models with the launch of the AMERICAN STANDARD and 4500 PALLET JACK Series lithium batteries. This addition makes OneCharge the leading maker of lithium motive power solutions for material handling equipment in North America. OneCharge Inc., a provider of industrial lithium batteries for the material handling industry, announced today that it has added two new series of batteries to its product line for the most widely used electric forklifts and pallet jacks. Both AMERICAN STANDARD and PALLET JACK Series batteries are built with LFP cells, making these batteries some the most efficient and long-lasting on the market today. “The OneCharge AMERICAN STANDARD lithium battery is a true workhorse of the American economy. A standard lithium battery that gets you extraordinary results,” said OneCharge President Tim Karimov. “This product is designed to fit most applications of Class I, II, and III material handling equipment. It is the right choice that’s also easy to make—these batteries have demonstrated high dependability and performance in many material handling operations throughout North and South America.” “We’ve added the 4500 PALLET JACK Series lithium batteries to better serve the needs of our customers in this specific segment of material handling equipment. These lithium batteries are made for electric 4500-lb pallet jacks (Class III lift trucks). They are lightweight but powerful to keep your equipment ready anytime you need it, up to three shifts a day. They are ideal for any warehouse, manufacturing, and box truck delivery applications. The final weight of this series is enough to keep the drive wheel in touch with the ground, without the unnecessary extra weight of lead-acid,” said OneCharge CEO Alex Pisarev. “We have been focusing on promoting lithium batteries for material handling equipment for over seven years and are happy to see the growing acceptance of lithium-ion technology. Managers across many industries appreciate the universal benefits of lithium technology for material handling: cost reduction, improved performance and utilization of equipment, safety, and zero-emission of contaminants,” Mr. Pisarev added. OneCharge lithium batteries have full communications integration with the leading electric lift truck manufacturers. Moreover, the plug-and-play configuration allows the OneCharge battery to integrate seamlessly into almost any brand of lift truck, thanks to the built-in battery discharge indicator and low battery warning system. Many companies in North and South America use OneCharge batteries. Our customers work in food and beverage, paper and packaging, lumber, manufacturing, distribution, cold storage, 3PL, consumer packaged goods, and many other industries. Every OneCharge battery management system features a data processing module that tracks numerous operational parameters. These data-gathering capabilities, coupled with highly efficient communications infrastructure, allow customers to acquire and analyze significant volumes of data, further enabling value-added services. Such services can range from daily usage reports to the Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) offering, which is sometimes referred to as “power by the hour.”
VARTA AG and SoftBank Robotics Europe expand cooperation
In the future, VARTA will not only be a battery supplier for Pepper – the world’s first social humanoid robot – but will also work together with SoftBank Robotics Europe on a new battery format. The battery platform is targeted at various emerging applications in the field of robotics. VARTA and SoftBank Robotics Europe have been working together since 2012. The successful cooperation in the areas of product and project development as well as in technical design is now being continued and intensified in a new major project: Together, the two technology companies are developing a battery platform that will serve as a battery module suitable for emerging robotic applications at SoftBank Robotics Europe. The start of the VARTA and Softbank Robotics collaboration was the development of the battery for the humanoid robot Pepper, which uses facial recognition and is able to engage with people through conversation and its touch screen. Pepper is used as an assistant in various industries and fields. The platform’s batteries are to be used in the latest version of Pepper and in other emerging applications such as next-gen robotic platforms for new markets. Gordon Clements, General Manager, VARTA Solutions: “The whole field of robotics will have a significant impact on our lives. VARTA was able to master the complex battery requirements for a humanoid robot like Pepper, translate them into a simple solution, and then deliver in volume manufacturing. Now we want to develop the technology further and make it applicable to the entire portfolio of Softbank Robotics. With the planned battery platform, we are creating the basis for many different autonomous and smart robotic applications that will make our lives easier and more comfortable. Reducing SoftBank Robotics time to market and investment when realizing new robotic applications” “Thanks to its expertise and its successes built in different market applications, VARTA together with SoftBank Robotics Europe teams are working on the definition of our battery for our next generation robotics platform with the constant goals of accelerating the time-to-market, proposed the good cost structure by never compromising performance and feature set. This state-of-the-art architecture allows SoftBank Robotics Europe to use the same battery as a global asset for different projects and products. VARTA’s team connects us to a complete ecosystem made of WW manufacturing capabilities and partners“, says Xavier Lacherade, COO of SoftBank Robotics Europe. The platform’s batteries will be produced at VARTA’s highly automated production facility at the VARTA site in Brasov, Romania. With more than ten years of experience on high-tech production lines, around two million individual battery formats and solutions are manufactured annually for major customers and OEMs.
Nano One announces closing of $28.9 Million bought deal offering over-allotment option exercised in full
Nano One® Materials Corp., a technology company with a patented and scalable industrial process for the production of low-cost, high-performance cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries, has announced that it has closed its previously announced bought deal financing (the “Offering”). The Company issued a total of 5,405,000 common shares (the “Common Shares”) at an offering price of $5.35 per Common Share (the “Issue Price”), which included 705,000 Common Shares issued pursuant to the exercise of the over-allotment option, in full, for gross proceeds of approximately $28.9 million. The Common Shares were offered on a bought deal basis by a syndicate of underwriters. In connection with the Offering, the Company paid the Underwriters a cash fee of 6% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised from the Offering and issued to the Underwriters 324,299 non-transferable compensation warrants (the “Compensation Warrants”) equal to 6% of the number of Common Shares sold under the Offering. Each Compensation Warrant is exercisable into one Common Share at the Issue Price for a period of 12 months following closing, expiring April 1, 2022. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for ongoing research and development, pilot plant expansion, business development, and strategic initiatives with partners and collaborators and for general corporate purposes.
New Tests Prove: LFP Lithium Batteries live longer than NMC
Recent independent degradation tests of commercial lithium batteries reveal a big surprise! Contrary to the claims of many NMC-based lithium battery manufacturers, LFP chemistry is superior compared to NMC – it is safer, offers a longer lifespan, and is generally less expensive than NMC, NCA. The Two Main Types of Lithium-ion Battery Chemistries Used Of all the various types of lithium-ion batteries, two emerge as the best choices for forklifts and other lift trucks: Lithium Ferrum Phosphate, or Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC). The LFP battery chemistry has been around the longest. NMC is a relatively new technology. However, that doesn’t always translate into being a universally better technology. In electric vehicles (EVs), such as cars and trucks, it’s often the preferred choice due to overall less weight and higher energy density per kilogram. However, in the warehousing environment, where ambient temperature extremes are possible and weight is not the issue, the LFP battery is widespread and conversely may be a more favorable choice. As a default, both NMC and LFP chemistries’ useful life can range between 3,000 to 5,000 cycles. However, with opportunity charging, that can be increased significantly, anywhere up to 7,000 cycle count. Whereas lead-acid shouldn’t be charged until it’s depleted to 20% battery capacity, Lithium-ion batteries thrive on what it calls opportunity charging. While the two types—LFP and NMC—operate similarly, there are some differences. Degradation of Commercial Lithium-Ion Cells: Test Results According to a 2020 paper from the Journal of the Electrochemical Society (Degradation of Commercial Lithium-Ion Cells as a Function of Chemistry and Cycling Conditions), LFP batteries have a longer lifespan than NMCs. This data contradicts the wide-spread notion that NMC cells are more durable and have a longer life span. The authors of the article give one possible explanation – the data on real commercially available cells may vary with the change of manufacturing process, however subtle. Under strict test conditions, commercially available lithium cells of both types were repeatedly discharged and charged from 0% to 100%. The result? According to the paper, “The LFP cells exhibit substantially longer cycle life spans under the examined conditions.” The tests were performed at the Sandia National Laboratories as “part of a broader effort to determine and characterize the safety and reliability of commercial Li-ion cells.” The study examined the influence of temperature, depth of discharge (DOD), and discharge current on the long-term degradation of the commercial cells. All cells were charged and discharged at a 0.5 C rate or the amount of discharge that will deplete the full capacity of a battery in two hours. In the graphical representation shown (taken from the Journal’s 2020 technical paper), you can easily see that the discharge capacity retention for the LFP lithium battery (blue data points) far exceeded the NMC battery retention (indicated by the black data points) for each round of charge/discharge cycling. The graph indicates that the NMC degrades almost twice as quickly as the LFP, showing the superior overall performance of the LFP cells. The testing showed LFPs had a better RTE (round trip efficiency) than NMCs, calculated by dividing the discharge energy by the charge energy. This calculation shows that the LFP is the more efficient, economical choice. Lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide battery, or NCA, was also a part of this experiment and performed similar or worse than NMC. We do not focus on NCA in this article as it is not mainstream in the commercial use of lithium batteries for Material Handling, mainly due to safety and cost issues. Both NMC and NCA cells demonstrated strong dependence on the depth of discharge, with greater sensitivity to full SOC range cycling compared to LFP cells. LFP cells had the highest cycle lifetime across all conditions, but this performance gap was reduced when cells were compared according to the discharge energy throughput. LFP and NMC Lithium Cells Chemistry: Charging Speed There is one other major difference between LFP and NMC often used as a selling point in material handling. NMC lithium-ion batteries are sometimes charged at a higher, faster rate, often compared to LFP using a 0 to 100% charge cycle. However, there is a tradeoff. To do this, the cables and connectors must be beefed up as the temperature generated by the process is higher. Additionally, the individual cells must be insulated from each other to contain and dissipate the heat. This is usually done using ceramic shields, increasing the cost of the battery unit. LFP Lithium ion batteries normally charge at a lower rate, often up to 1.5 C rate. They can be fitted with dual plugs, however, that doubles the charge rate, while still maintaining a lower charging temperature. The current draw during the charging process is lower overall, potentially translating into a safer charge. In reality, the higher charge rate of the NMC is a non-issue. With the use of opportunity charging (which benefits lithium batteries), the battery should never become fully discharged. Therefore, charging from a fully discharged battery to a fully charged battery will rarely, if ever, be encountered. The takeaway is simple. Even though it may be promoted that the higher charge rate for NMC is possible, there is no measurable time savings increase nor downtime decrease to validate the necessity of charge rates over 1 C rate. LFP vs NMC While NMC cells are often promoted as a newer, more advanced technology, they carry some other significant pitfalls. The flashpoint (the temperature at which a chemical will ignite) is significantly lower than LFP. The flashpoint for NMC is 419 degrees Fahrenheit, while LFP’s flashpoint is as high as 518 degrees. In other words, the NMC is more likely to ignite and burn under the right conditions. For example, a high charge rate contributes to thermal runaway, potential heat damage and is more prevalent in NMC battery pack than in LFP. Both the technology and chemistry of the NMC cause it to run hotter during both use and charging, requiring more heat
Things are happening
I hope you took advantage of the JOB SHOCK comments prepared by Edward Gordon I referred to in last month’s column. Be sure to share it with the younger members of your family, especially those close to entering the job market. Dean kindly attached the article to the MHW website to give you access. And after reading it you may find yourself saving some money. I am not going to get into the details here because you really need to read the entire article and pass it around to those you feel may benefit from the information. What is currently available is Part 1 of this story and I will make sure you have access to Part 2 and so on as they become available. What is discussed in JOB SHOCK will impact both your personal and business world. What else is happening is that interest rates are starting to increase along with a weaker dollar. Not good for highly leveraged companies, especially those who import their product line. And who knows how these metrics will move once the Stimulus money hits the streets. Since there is no time like the present it may be prudent to spend a little time thinking about interest-bearing obligations, banking arrangements, and how competitors without the import issues will impact your business. If the dollar value increasingly gets weaker there could be pushback about equipment pricing. I was thinking about this and wondered what I would do if a major customer were negotiating a $1 million dollar transaction, and as you were about to close the deal, he/she say they plan to pay with Bitcoin? Think about that, because it is entirely possible for a large transaction to fall into this arena at some point and you need to be able to handle it or maybe lose the deal to someone who can execute with Bitcoin. Maybe your OEM should put together a white paper about non-dollar transactions. Could not hurt and you would have another value-added cookie to offer up. Is your vault big enough to handle 20 Bitcoin (only kidding)? We all probably spend time trading or investing in stocks, and if you do you probably pay attention to the Q4 and year-end financial reports related to your portfolio and the industry you are in. I was just doing that last week when I heard three reports: one from GM, one from Ford, and one from JLG. All three noted that they have definite plans to switch to products using cleaner energy…..electric vehicles. I was most surprised concerning construction equipment, but it is happening. It appears that advanced battery technology is taking the front stage with these companies investing in this technology. What does this mean for you? Plenty. Based on what I have been hearing the demand for electric lift trucks using lithium-ion batteries is sure to increase above the norm and as a result will change many aspects of your business. Inventory investments will probably increase because you must maintain inventory to cover more and more for the electric business while also maintaining inventory related to lines or products you had pre-electric. Could be a substantial investment because battery technology as of today is not cheap. And part of this inventory issue may deal with non-electric used units coming off rent that may not be worth as much as you planned when the original lease was put into place. Technology and training will also add to your cost to own and operate this type of equipment. The major planning issue regarding battery technology is having the right partners to help carry the load and make the transition. There are only so many “partners” out there to work with. So, the sooner you find who you want to work with the better. OEMs should assist with this process. The American Rental Association (ARA) offered up a webinar entitled Rentalytics that was quite good. It was scheduled for 60 minutes which turned out to be 90 minutes. They covered how OEMs, rental companies, and end-users see ’21 and ’22 unfolding. Three industry experts and economists also provided estimates regarding the Cap-X spend in ’21 and ’22. This Rentalytics is somewhat new to me but offered up projections and estimates that were of interest. They even had a section on the material handling industry and expect 4% growth in ’21 after being down 4% in ’20. Not bad compared to other types of dealers or rental companies. On the OEM front, the Manufacturing HMI index expects a 6% increase overall in ’21, with durable goods at an 8,5% increase and non-durable goods at a 5.8% increase. Again, not bad. It seems your business life will keep you hopping over the next couple of years. Time to get things under control and plan for the coming changes. Garry Bartecki is a CPA MBA with GB Financial Services LLC. E-mail editorial@mhwmag.com to contact Garry
Nano One announces $25 Million bought deal offering of common shares
Nano One® Materials Corp. (“Nano One” or “the Company”), a technology company with a patented and scalable industrial process for the production of low cost, high-performance cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries, today is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the “Underwriters”) pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase on a bought deal basis an aggregate of 4,700,000 common shares (the “Shares”), at a price of $5.35 per share (the “Issue Price”) for gross proceeds of $25,145,000 (the “Offering”). The Company has agreed to grant the Underwriters an over-allotment option (the “Over-Allotment Option”) to purchase up to an additional 15% of the Shares at the Issue Price, exercisable in whole or in part, at any time on or prior to the date that is 30 days following the closing of the Offering. If this option is exercised in full, the Company will receive an additional $3,771,750. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for ongoing research and development, pilot plant expansion, business development, and strategic initiatives with partners and collaborators and for general corporate purposes. On or before March 22, 2021, the Company will file with the securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in each province of Canada other than Quebec, a preliminary short form prospectus relating to the issuance of the Shares. The Offering is anticipated to close on or about April 1, 2021, and is subject to certain customary conditions and regulatory approval, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and the applicable securities regulatory authorities. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and applicable state securities laws.
Flux Power announces increasing traction of X-Series Lithium-ion Battery Packs with new customers
Flux Power Holdings, Inc. (“Flux Power”), a developer of advanced lithium-ion industrial batteries for commercial and industrial equipment, just announced that it has initiated delivery of lithium-ion battery packs for two new customers. Working in partnership with a Top-5 global forklift manufacturer, Flux Power initiated deliveries of its LiFT Pack X48 to a leading manufacturer and distributor of paper products and related chemicals, with a fleet size of 2,000+ forklifts. The X48, which is UL Listed, is used to power Class I counterbalanced forklifts. Additionally, Flux Power began delivery of its LiFT Pack X48 to a ‘Fortune 500’ packaging manufacturer with a forklift fleet size of 500+ units. Flux Power continues to expand its customer base, reflecting the growing adoption of lithium-ion battery packs by companies with large forklift fleets.
Nano One launches Groundbreaking M2CAM Technology to reduce cost, waste and carbon footprint in Lithium-ion Battery Supply Chain
Nano One® Materials Corp.(“Nano One”), a technology company with a patented and scalable industrial process for the production of low-cost, high-performance cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries, has announced its M2CAM (metal to cathode active material) initiative. Nano One’s patented One-Pot process has been successfully adapted for M2CAM, enabling cathode materials to be made direct from metal using nickel, manganese, and cobalt metal powder feedstocks rather than metal sulfates or other salts. Nano One is actively engaged in a number of discussions with large integrated miners to reduce environmental footprints and maximize upstream value in the global battery supply chain. Nano One’s other collaborators include automotive OEMs with similar motivations to meet environmental targets by reducing waste, carbon emissions, logistics, and costs. Patents are pending for M2CAM and preliminary test results are showing battery capacity up to 5% higher than cathode materials currently made from metal salts. Nano One CTO Dr. Stephen Campbell will be presenting on Nickel and M2CAM at the BMO 30th Global Metals & Mining Conference on March 1, 2021. This innovation addresses a growing ESG (environmental social governance) imperative to reduce cost, waste, energy, and carbon footprint in the lithium-ion battery supply chain. Nano One’s innovative one-pot process: eliminates the need for costly and energy-intensive conversion of nickel, cobalt, and manganese to sulfate, and lithium carbonate to hydroxide, eliminates the shipment of large quantities of water and sulfur, lowering energy, emissions, and costs of shipping by 4-5x, eliminates the costly extra step of making precursor cathode active material (PCAM), eliminates the economic and environmental cost of handling a waste stream of sulfur and water that is 4-5x larger than the cathode product stream, combines feedstock conversion, precursor formation, lithiation, and coating steps using carbon-neutral chemistry in a patented one-pot process, and forms durable single crystal cathode powders and protective coatings simultaneously. Robert Morris, Nano One’s Battery Metals Strategy Advisor and former Executive Vice-President of Sales and Marketing in Base Metals for Vale remarks, “Miners are compelled to reduce their carbon footprint, both from internal corporate ESG mandates and in meeting customer requirements, none more so than those in the battery supply chain. OEMs want ‘clean nickel’ and that refers to the mining, refining, and logistics of getting the product to the place where it will be consumed. Metal producers should have an ESG and premium advantage over sulfate and other non-metal producers if their nickel can be used directly in the production of cathode materials.” Miners and refiners use a costly and energy-intensive crystallization process to convert nickel, for example, into nickel sulfate (NiSO4.6H2O, 22% nickel, 78% waste) which weighs 4-5x more, before shipping to manufacturers. The metal sulfates are then mixed in a caustic process to form an intermediate precursor while generating 4-5x waste in sulfate and water. Lithium hydroxide (LiOH) is then added to the precursor in a prolonged thermal process to form the cathode powders before the final protective coatings can be applied. This supply chain is long and complicated with energy, carbon emissions, environmental waste, complexity, cost, logistics, shipping, and margins added at each stage. Nano One’s patented One-Pot process forms durable single crystal cathode powders and protective coatings simultaneously and M2CAM enables these materials to be made directly from metal powders. Metal powders are one-fifth of the weight of metal sulfates, avoiding the added costs, energy, and environmental impact of converting to sulfate and shipping and handling of waste. The One-Pot process is an aqueous process, using carbon-neutral chemistry, that operates at room temperature and atmospheric pressures, and it combines feedstock conversion, precursor formation, lithiation, and coating steps into one reaction. This creates added value for metals and aligns Nano One with the environmental, sustainability, and cost objectives of automotive companies, miners, investment communities, and governmental infrastructure initiatives.
Nano One Technology performs well in Solid State Battery Collaboration with the University of Michigan
Nano One is collaborating with the University of Michigan on the development of innovative solid-state battery technology. Nano One’s proprietary coated single crystal HVS cathode material is performing well in University of Michigan test programs. HVS is inexpensive, fast charging, cobalt free, and suited for solid-state battery configuration because it does not expand, contract, and stress the cathode-electrolyte interface like other materials Nano One® Materials Corp. (“Nano One“) is a technology company with a patented and scalable industrial process for the production of low cost, high-performance cathode powders used in lithium-ion batteries, and, today announced positive updates from a collaboration with the University of Michigan leveraging Nano One’s advancements in cathode materials for solid-state batteries. Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan (UM), Richard Laine, Ph.D., said, “Initial results from our evaluations show that Nano One’s HVS materials perform well with our innovative agricultural waste-derived electrolytes and we look forward to advancing our collaboration to demonstrate a viable solid-state battery configuration.” Professor Laine’s research group and several others are exploring in UM’s battery laboratories various aspects of battery components, designs, interfaces, and assembly of solid-state electrochemical energy storage devices. This is the latest in a series of collaborations that Nano One has undertaken with global automotive original equipment manufacturers, leading battery manufacturers, and academic research groups. “Evaluations of Nano One’s unique NMC 811 and HVS cathode materials are showing positive results with solid-state electrolytes in solid-state batteries,” said Dr. Stephen Campbell, CTO of Nano One. “Nano One sees great potential for growth in solid-state battery markets driven by automotive interest. We are scaling up our innovative processes and materials with a growing list of collaborators.” The goal of developing better solid-state batteries is to improve safety, power, and energy density by replacing flammable liquid electrolytes with a solid interface between the cathode and an ultra-thin lithium metal anode. Nano One has numerous test programs underway with leaders in both industry and academia to test its lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) and high voltage spinel (HVS) in different solid-state battery systems. HVS, also known as lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNMO), is inexpensive, fast charging, and cobalt-free. It is suited to solid-state batteries because it does not expand, contract, and stress the cathode-electrolyte interface like other cathode materials. Furthermore, Nano One’s proprietary coated single crystal powder protects the cathode from side reactions while allowing the rapid transfer of lithium ions between electrolyte and cathode.
EnerSys® receives MHEDA 2021 Most Valuable Supplier Award
EnerSys®, the global provider in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, has earned the 2021 Most Valuable Supplier (MVS) Award from the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA). Each year, this prominent industry accolade is granted to fewer than 10 percent of all member companies and acknowledges organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to their dealer network, employees, and community in 2020. “To be recognized with this prestigious award validates the dedication EnerSys has to equipping our teams with the latest resources and training programs to better serve our customers,” said Chad Uplinger, Vice President, Motive Power Americas at EnerSys. “The material handling industry as a whole continues to grow and evolve and it’s our responsibility to remain current on the newest trends and at the forefront of innovation. We are grateful to MHEDA for the work it does in helping companies like ours achieve that goal through continuing education and we look forward to a prosperous partnership for many years to come.” To qualify for the 2021 MVS Award, EnerSys was required to meet a series of criteria in the key areas of Industry Advocacy, Distributor Advocacy, Business Networking, Continuing Education, and Business Best Practices. In addition to confirming an ongoing commitment to safety and employee training, award recipients were also asked to provide documentation of active participation in a program that “gives back” to the community. “Achieving the MVS Award demonstrates a company-wide effort to maintain the highest business standards, customer service, employee development, and commitment to the betterment of the material handling industry,” said Ted Springer, President of Springer Equipment Co., Inc. and 2021 MHEDA Chairman. “MHEDA is very proud of our award-winning members.”
JLG and Oshkosh partner with Microvast on the development of battery technologies
JLG Industries, Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company and global manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and telehandlers, has announced a planned investment by parent company Oshkosh Corporation in Microvast, a global provider of next-generation battery technologies for commercial and specialty electric vehicles. This new partnership, in combination with the company’s existing electrification supply chain partners, will continue to strengthen and advance the development of industry-leading electrified solutions across the JLG® product line, including boom lifts, scissor lifts, low-level access lifts, vertical access lifts, stock and order picker lifts, towable lifts and telehandlers. According to Frank Nerenhausen, Oshkosh Executive Vice President and President of JLG Industries, this relationship enhances the Company’s product development and technology roadmap. “JLG is focused on electrification and the delivery of sustainable technologies that are environmentally friendly without a compromise to performance. We believe advancing battery technology is crucial to striking this balance.” JLG has been at the forefront of the industry’s movement toward electrification, having offered electric products since the mid-1990s when the Company launched its first electric boom lift. Recent electric product introductions include the industry’s first all-electric scissor lift — the AE 1932 DaVinci™ model. “Our new DaVinci all-electric lift represents the future of electrification — every component is optimized to deliver premium performance and value to the customer,” says Nerenhausen. “Our strategic investment in Microvast is an excellent addition to Oshkosh’s electrification focus and established partnerships,” said John C. Pfeifer, Oshkosh Corporation President and Chief Operating Officer. “These partnerships, combined with Oshkosh’s highly-capable product development team, support our expanding leadership with technology-enabled products across the markets we serve.” Oshkosh agreed to make a $25 million private investment in public equity or PIPE, in Microvast, which announced a merger with Tuscan Holdings Corp. on February 1, 2021. Oshkosh and Microvast also entered into a joint development agreement highlighting future battery collaboration and integration. To learn more about Oshkosh’s core innovation areas, visit www.oshkoshcorp.com/brands-innovations.
Episode 151 – Flux Power
In this episode, I was joined by the CEO of Flux Power, Ron Dutt. Just recently I covered lithium-ion batteries for Material Handling Wholesaler on Episode 147 and the response was great with tons of inquiries for more lithium-ion information. So, here it is, more lithium-ion information! In my discussion with Ron, we touch on Flux Power’s offerings, the difficulty of getting lithium-ion to a wider market, and how this market coincides with the electric vehicle market. Key Takeaways Flux Power is a battery manufacturer that focuses on the material handling industry. They solely focus on developing lithium-ion energy packs for use in the material handling industry. Their founder has a background in the electric vehicle industry and saw an opportunity with trying to convert the material handling industry to lithium-ion to help improve efficiency and also reduce the impact on the environment. Flux Power has found some great success so far including getting Fortune 50 companies to adopt their lithium-ion technology due to very attractive long-term savings. One of the big hangs up around lithium-ion is the upfront cost. However, there are long-term savings that can outweigh lead-acid solutions. Ron gives a great example of how a company was able to put their engineers on determining the savings and realized they were saving as much as $5,000 per day due to not having to switch batteries. This is a huge savings that can have a big impact on your operation overall. In addition to the savings, Ron also discusses the incredibly positive impact adopting lithium-ion has on the environment which helps to make our supply chains more sustainable. Since the founder of Flux Power comes from an electric vehicle background, lithium-ion reminded me of the similarities of the beginning of the electric vehicle market. There is some skepticism around lithium-ion and whether or not it is a viable long-term solution to switch to. This is quite similar to the introduction of electric vehicles which are now being widely adopted. Ron talks about the beginning stages of Flux and how they were able to overcome skepticism. One really interesting point he makes is that the operator of a forklift will not quite treat the equipment the same as an electric vehicle owner. From this, they were able to learn how to make their battery packs more durable. Overall, I think that there is a bright future in lithium-ion and I am happy to be learning so much about it. Listen to the episode below and let us know if any questions in the comments. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 151: Flux Power
EnerSys product highlights at ProMatDX 2021
EnerSys, the global provider in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, will highlight its full line of NexSys battery and charger solutions at ProMatDX 2021. By providing simpler, more productive, predictable power, virtually maintenance-free NexSys PURE Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) batteries and NexSys iON lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries give operators two dependable choices that deliver a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). NexSys+ chargers are ideal for fast and opportunity charging, providing maximum flexibility and efficiency for all fleet operations. During this year’s show, EnerSys will also feature its recently launched NexSys PURE PACK battery and on-board charger system. The new comprehensive solution consists of the latest generation of NexSys PURE batteries, combined with an integrated Delta-Q on-board charger and Wi-iQ battery monitoring device. This all-inclusive solution provides a predictable and reliable power source with the flexibility to fast or opportunity charge from the convenience of any 110-volt standard power outlet and the intelligence to capture a range of key operating data to help ensure peak battery performance and dependability.
Nano One announces Alex Holmes as COO
The Board of Directors at Nano One® is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Alex Holmes as Chief Operating Officer (COO). “Alex is a seasoned and trusted leader with broad public markets experience,” said CEO Mr. Dan Blondal. “His expertise in business development, finance, and lithium resource management will be an enormous asset to Nano One, particularly as we ramp up operations in support of multiple partnerships and business opportunities. Alex was selected for this role by the senior management team in a thorough search process; he is a great fit and we are delighted to have an executive of such caliber joining us here at Nano One. With this appointment, we have filled a key role in driving our business transformation and welcome Alex as a partner to the executive team.” As COO, Mr. Holmes will help drive Nano One’s business transformation and evolution by acting as a strategic partner to the CEO, President and Chairman. He will be responsible for spearheading Nano One’s business operations and optimizing its operational capabilities, to ensure alignment with market growth opportunities and strategic initiatives. He will oversee business development, research, scale-up, investor relations, marketing, human resources, and facilities to ensure that all functions are aligned with Nano One’s business strategy, priorities, and long-term plan. “I am extremely excited to be joining the Nano One team. For a number of years I have admired the team’s leadership as they evolved into a technology solutions leader in the cathode materials space,” stated Mr. Holmes. “We have a unique opportunity to continue to disrupt the battery market with our strong platform of existing solutions, alongside our ongoing innovations focused on improving current, and enabling future, battery technology.” Mr. Holmes has spent more than 15 years as a senior executive with a number of public companies. Most recently, he served as the CEO of Plateau Energy Metals, a public company advancing a world-class hard rock lithium project in tandem with a uranium asset in Peru. Prior to this, Mr. Holmes co-founded a technology start-up, leading it from prototype to commercialization in a short period of time, and was a partner and co-founder of Oxygen Capital Corp. where he led the business development for all affiliated companies. He was instrumental in working with the companies to raise more than $250 million of capital to advance and grow the businesses. As head of Business Development for one of the Oxygen Capital companies, Mr. Holmes was instrumental in taking the company from initial asset acquisition through growth and advancement of the project from early engineering studies to project finance and ultimately commercial production. His prior experience also includes leading investment banking teams at two independent Canadian investment banks and raising capital for and advising on transactions for numerous companies. Mr. Holmes holds a M.Sc. in Investment Management, graduating with Distinction from The Business School, City University of London. Nano One has received proceeds of approximately $4,465,000 from the exercise of stock options and warrants since its last financial update dated October 1, 2020. This brings the Company’s treasury to approximately $28,000,000 with up to $4,250,000 in non-dilutive non-repayable contributions from Canadian clean technology government programs. This further strengthens the Company’s financial position to execute its business strategy. Nano One has also granted 1,540,000 incentive stock options with an exercise price of $5.10 to directors and officers of the Company.
Episode 147 – Powering Up with Lithium-Ion
In this episode, I was joined by two material handling energy experts for the Material Handling Wholesaler February 2021 Cover Story entitled “The Dollars and Sense of Lithium-Ion Battery Technology” now available at MHWmag.com. My two guests were the Chief Marketing Officer for Green Cubes Technology, Jeff VanZwol and Damon Hosmer who is the Product Manager for Energy Solutions at The Raymond Corporation. We discuss their lithium-ion solutions, justifying the cost, the chemistry, and future of lithium-ion. Key Takeaways Damon was very excited to join the show as The Raymond Corporation just recently launched their Energy Essentials lithium-ion battery line. He discusses what their goals are for the line and why they are investing in bringing lithium-ion to the market. We also discuss how Raymond can help you to determine if lithium-ion is the right decision for your operation. Interestingly there are some additional benefits that you may not realize right away. One of these being the increased space on the machine and what you can do with that additional real estate. Jeff joins the discussion from Green Cubes Technology which is a battery manufacturer. He gives a great perspective on how to really look at the ROI for lithium-ion and be able to justify the higher upfront costs. While lithium-ion has a higher upfront cost than traditional power sources like lead-acid, it saves more money over a longer time period. It does this because you are able to charge more efficiently and you are also moving away from battery swapping which saves on maintenance costs. He also discusses how Green Cubes will help you to do an overall power study to determine how lithium-ion can help and benefit you. One of the questions I had for both of them was what the life of these batteries is like since we know in some lithium-ion battery applications, like a cellphone, excessive charging can cause reduced battery life. Jeff and Damon give great in-depth insights into the different types of chemistry and how they can vary but due to these chemistry makeups, there is no battery life reduction like you would experience in a cell phone or laptop. I’m not much of a chemist but Damon really breaks it down and also gives a great explanation as to why Raymond chose a certain one. While there is still much to learn about lithium-ion, it is pretty clear that we are in the early stages of growth. We are very much in the state where electric vehicles were a few years ago and as electric vehicle popularity increases in the consumer world, we will certainly see an increase in the commercial world as well. The technology is ready and now it is up to operations to make the swap if it is a right fit. There are many benefits presented in this episode and more beyond that as well. It will be very interesting to see how to market adoption continues to grow over the next few years. Listen to the episode below, leave a comment or join the discussion on LinkedIn below. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 147: Powering Up with Lithium-Ion
Valley Industrial Battery, LLC
EnerSys® expands partnership with Industrial Battery & Charger, Inc.
EnerSys®, the global provider in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, recently expanded its Manufacturer Representative Agreement with Industrial Battery & Charger, Inc. (IBCI), the largest motive and stationary power applications provider in the Southeast. Effective January 1, 2021, IBCI will be responsible for sales and service of all EnerSysprovider® motive power products in the state of Alabama, including NexSys®, IRONCLAD®, Express®, and General Battery™ batteries, as well as IMPAQ™, NexSys®+ and Express® chargers. “We are excited about the upcoming changes to our Alabama territory coverage,” said Michael Shea, General Manager EnerSys Southern Area. “Over the past 30-plus years, IBCI has consistently and effectively represented the EnerSys line of products, accessories, and services in a variety of markets. This mutually beneficial transition will harness the strengths of both organizations, so we can continue to provide the top-notch support that the customers in Alabama have come to rely upon.” “Being chosen by EnerSys to assume this great responsibility illustrates their confidence in our dedicated team members,” said Jason Poston, President of Industrial Battery & Charger, Inc. “We are proud to have represented EnerSys in the Southeast since 1988. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them for years to come.”
The dollars and sense of lithium-ion battery technology
Though the material handling industry continues to see lithium-ion batteries as a greener solution to their lead-acid predecessors, switching to this battery technology can also add a little greener to your bottom line in the form of dollars. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be difficult to grasp how a technology that requires a larger upfront investment can actually result in cost savings over time. “There’s a lot of interest and misunderstanding when it comes to lithium-ion technology,” says Frank Russo, vice president sales, marketing, dealer development at HC Forklift America. “Customers are seeking facts. There’s also cynicism in new alternative fuels because of the past offerings that never lived up to their hep. Lithium-ion batteries bring new life to our industry as they really reduce operating costs with maintenance-free batteries.” And therein lies the crux of it: don’t judge a lithium-ion battery by its acquisition cost. Calculating the true cost requires a much more complex algorithm. The Lithium-Ion Equation According to Damon Hosmer, project manager – energy solutions with the Raymond Corp., this is a calculation more material handlers are doing. “The market adaption during the past seven to eight months has been unprecedented,” he says, noting that his company is getting daily inquiries from countries internationally. “It’s the new normal with the e-comm boom.” Hosmer says that the cost of lithium-ion batteries really includes a variety of areas beyond upfront cost, though that remains a driving factor. “It’s really twice the cost or twice the life,” he says, noting that Raymond Corp focuses on the chemistry of its batteries to ensure top performance, which remains one of three key factors for customers trying to decide if an investment in lithium-ion batteries is in their future. “The first is battery life and performance,” he says. “Companies are looking at maximizing their facilities – they’re getting taller – and they are really starting to look at life and performance along with the cost of the battery.” “The efficiencies of lithium that we emphasize are roughly 20 percent more up-time for your truck with faster charging and eliminating battery swaps,” says Jeffrey VanZwol, chief marketing officer for Green Cubes Technology. “Lithium-ion batteries reduce electrical costs due to a better charger efficiency, say 97 percent vs. roughly 75-80 percent for lead-acid. That is at least a 15 percent reduction in your electrical expenses allocated to battery charging. Secondly, Hosmer says safety has actually become a factor, particularly with the changes that have occurred with COVID-19. Procurement across the board now includes risk mitigation, and companies are looking for solutions that reduce operator risk to harmful situations as well as human error. “Finally, we take our customers through a cost justification exercise so they can really see their return on investment over time,” he says. “When we are able to fire up a real valuation, they can see that lithium-ion batteries can provide a significant amount of value over time.” VanZwol agrees. “We start off with a power study to make sure the customer will benefit from lithium-ion batteries in their selected application, as lithium-ion is not a panacea solution for all applications,” he says. “The output of that power study is fed into our ROI calculator, where we compute and explain the CAPEX/OPEX efficiencies that they will experience.” VanZwol adds that over a three-year period, the CAPEX outlay for lead-acid and lithium-ion is the same, except that you will need to make a larger CAPEX investment upfront with lithium-ion. In return for that up-front investment, VanZwol says lithium-ion really knocks down the OPEX expenses, such as truck downtime for battery swaps, electrical power costs, and motor maintenance expenses, along with supporting a green or zero-emission initiative. The suspicion remains about the technology It’s important to focus on solid numbers and projections, as suspicions remain about the technology. Russo says that customer concerns are primarily focused on two areas. “Concerns are mostly related to recycling the battery after its life span,” he says. “There’s also pessimism as it relates to working in various ambient temperatures, along with working in extreme temperatures,” he says, noting that lithium batteries supplied by Hangcha have temperature-controlled battery compartments to deal with extreme temperatures. As the technology behind lithium-ion batteries continues to advance and evolve, many of these older concerns are being addressed. Additionally, manufacturers are more attuned to the concerns raised by the marketplace and are working to address them. “The pace of adoption has been steady, but it still is early days from my perspective,” says VanZwol. “The adoption is more rapid, and the ROI is higher, in certain segments like cold storage or multi-shift operations. He says that many of the early adopters have taken advantage of “very clear and unambiguous benefits.” “As these early adopters start to evangelize and become reference sites for other industries, like non-refrigerated or single-shift operations, then I expect to see faster adoption across all markets.” New innovation fuels the marketplace The return customers are seeing when calculating the potential ROI on lithium-iron batteries will only continue to improve. Many manufacturers and suppliers are focused on not only improving quality but also performance. Hosmer reports that on Dec. 1, 2020, Raymond Corp. started the distribution of its new Energy Essentials line, a fast-charging power solution housed in a denser footprint, which provides customers with a comprehensive solution supporting the company’s entire line of forklifts. “It’s also the first UL-listed lift-truck battery available,” he notes. Green Cubes Technology continues to expand its cloud-software application, which gives customers better control and remote management capabilities. “We provide the data and analytics to ensure our customers have the usage information on their batteries, which enables them to verify they have their expected ROI. In the 1Q 2021, HC Forklift America will release nine new lithium-ion models. “With this release, we’ll have a complete line of lithium-ion product to cover classes I, II, and II up with the capacity to 10,000 pounds,” says Russo. To listen to Chief Marketing Officer for Green Cubes Technology, Jeff VanZwol
Pam Jones assumes GM position at Flight Systems Industrial Products
After serving 13 years on the management team at Flight Systems Industrial Products (FSIP), Director of Sales and Marketing Pam Jones assumed the new role of General Manager to replace President Barry Bowman, who retired his career of 35 years at year-end. “We wish Barry the best in this new chapter, and I will ensure the company is following the same path focusing on quality and service,” said Jones. Having a background in sales, marketing, and operations, Jones started at FSIP in 2007 as the sales manager. Her position later grew to include the Customer Service, Technical Support, Sales Engineering, Products, and Marketing departments. In 2017, Jones became a part of the executive management team.
The less lead you start with, the less lead you have to clean up!
Li-ion batteries became widespread not only in personal electronics, medical devices, aerospace, and automotive but also in heavy industrial applications like electric forklifts in the Material Handling industry, and even mining. Nevertheless, many industries continue to rely on a lead-acid battery pack, including electric forklifts applications. Are you using traditional lead-acid forklift batteries in your operations? If yes, this article is a must-read! You need to learn what lead decontamination measures are mandated at the place of production (spoiler alert: Pandemic precautions are a joke compared to what you have to do to stop lead poisoning of workers and their families). Whether you have all the safety protocols in place to prevent lead poisoning and decontaminate before going home to protect your family, the main question is, “Why should you continue using lead?” Dan Askin, a Speaker at a recent BCI event “Worker Decontamination: Preventing Take-Home Lead” says it best: “The less lead you start with, the less lead you have to clean up.” Why Manufacturers of Lead-Acid Batteries Take Workers’ Lead Decontamination Seriously, and Why You Should Too On November 4, 2020, I participated in a webinar titled “Worker Decontamination: Preventing Take-Home Lead & The Role of Operations and Supervisors in Lead Health Programs” organized by Battery Council International. I have full respect for the organizers of this education effort aimed at reducing the harm. I was quite impressed with the mandated lead decontamination measures to prevent spreading lead dust (and consequent lead poisoning) outside of a workplace. The health risks discussed were mainly those for the families of employees of lead-containing product manufacturers. Today, 75 percent of lead used in industrial manufacturing goes into lead-acid batteries, so we are talking about manufacturers and users of lead-acid batteries here. Lead Poisoning Since lead is a dangerous neurotoxin, especially dangerous for children, a safe level of lead dust on the floor is defined at below 10 micrograms (one-millionth of a gram) per square foot. According to Dan Askin, the first speaker at the event and the president and technical director of ESCA Tech, a company developing blood lead level reduction programs, If a worker takes 1 milligram (one-thousandth of a gram) of lead home, that is enough to cover 100 square feet at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum safe level. Askin provided an example of a one-week test of a battery plant air-shower. At the entry to the men’s locker room, they recovered 108 milligrams of dust per person who walked through the air-shower. This dust was typically 60 to 70 percent lead. That means we are starting with more than 70 milligrams of lead to be removed before a worker leaves the plant. If this much lead from one person was uniformly dispersed throughout the locker room, the result would be 700 square feet of space at 100 micrograms per square foot. How Can a Worker Take Lead Home? How can one take lead home? Multiple ways: Lead dust is transmitted on shoes, clothes, skin, hair, fingernails, phones, keys, wallets, coins, tobacco, cosmetics and toiletries, socks, underwear, glasses, watch, rings, jewelry, and of course, cars. It can even be carried in your sweat. To prevent lead from being carried over to homes, companies should install advanced filters in their air conditioning systems throughout the facility, not only in the working areas but also in corridors, meeting rooms, and offices. Enter and exit routes must not cross. A policy of no street clothes or shoes inside must be enforced. If you touch your shoes, re-wash your hands. And wash your car before driving home every day. Battery manufacturing plants must check daily whether training rooms and chairs are used by people in both street clothes and work clothes. Are the training room chairs cleanable? Where are the socks washed? If the socks are washed at home, the lead will collect in the recirculation tank of a home washer and be re-suspended in the rinse water in every load. And so on. In a nutshell, if your operations involve lead products, the rules of personal protection from lead poisoning and decontamination before you leave the facility to go home must be very strict. And the punishment for not following these rules needs to be quite severe. When I asked if these measures apply to workplaces that use the lead-acid technology, not manufacture them, Askin mentioned battery distribution centers and industrial batteries charging stations, with which they “had issues in the past.” He could not give more details because there is simply not enough data. These facilities are not regulated and measured in the same way as production areas, and the blood lead levels of workers and their families are simply unknown. Askin finished his presentation with a very clear message: “The less lead you start with, the less lead you have to clean up!” Leave the lead dust behind The next two speakers, Carl Raycroft, vice president, EHS compliance, at RSR/ECOBAT, and Pedro Chacon, senior director of manufacturing at Trojan Batteries, both presented examples of policies and best practices at their organizations aimed at mitigating the risk of lead poisoning. Rigorous testing and reporting of the lead blood level test results, investments in lead decontamination equipment and employee education, and hygiene improvements of workplaces, offices, and lunchrooms all lead to reduced lead levels in the blood. And this has also become an important KPI of the management’s performance. Now, “thanks” to COVID-19, we all know very well what life in a respirator feels like. And I can truly appreciate the difficulty of this and all the other efforts necessary to keep the risk of lead poisoning at an acceptable level. But listening to the presentations, I kept asking myself, “What is this level of acceptable risk and why do we need to put up with this risk at all?” In my previous article on some obvious problems with lead-acid batteries recycling called “The New Merchants of Death: Why Lead Acid Batteries Manufacturers Are Increasing Production Volume?” I wrote about