When planning a new battery room, or upgrading an existing facility, there are a number of steps and considerations to ensure you address all the business needs. Below are some of the questions you should ask of the business and some sample layouts to assist your efforts .

Step 1 – Understand the requirements

1. Take inventory of the MHE, battery and charger fleets ?
2. Does the site require roll-out, lift-out or both for battery change ?
3. What are the current working shifts/hours ?
4. Is this a long term company site or a transitional site ?
5. What expansion may be required at the site ?
6. Is a battery wash station required ?
7. What is the age of the current fleet and when will it likely be replaced ?

Step 2. – Understand the space

1. What are the floor dimensions of the room in sq feet or sq metres and what is its shape
2. What workable height does the site have ?
3. Where are the doors and how will this dictate workflow though the room ?
4. What services (power, HVAC, water & air compressor) are currently available in the room ? What are the relevant ratings ?
5. What are the flooring conditions ? Material, gradients, cracks and or coatings
6. Are there any specific features of the space to work around (central poles, barricades etc)
7. Are there environmental considerations – heat, cold, humidity

Step 3 – Resources, Workforce & Safety

1. Does the site need/intend to have dedicated battery change operators
2. Will the facility need 24x7 access to the room
3. What company or local safety regulations need to be considered
4. Does the facility need ventilation in the battery room to deal with Hydrogen build up
5. Will the site be requiring a management system to monitor performance

Step 4 – Preliminary planning

1. Preperation of layouts – 2D & 3D renderings (samples of 2D layouts below)
2. System specficiations and capacities
3. Project Timelines and costings
4. Risk and Safety Compliance Analysis

Step 5 - Design Revisions, Supply & Construction

1. Agreement on final configuration and options for future expansion
2. Who will manage the construction ?
3. When will operators and supporting technicians be trained ?

Step 6 - Operation

1. Are the maintenace and service programs in place
2. Do you have a clear spare parts program

Sample System Layouts

Below is a selection of sample layouts for common system types to assist your planning process. These are intended as a guide only and do not take into consideration any site or operational requirements

For more detailed information specific to your site and/or pricing contact Carney today.

Gantry Systems (Lift Out)

• Gantry Crane – Double Sided
• Gantry Crane – Double Sided with Battery Wash Station

Man Aboard Systems (Roll Out)

• Single Stack – Single Sided
• Single Stack – Double Sided
• Single Stack – Double Sided with Gantry Crane
  
  
• Double Stack – Single Sided
• Double Stack – Double Sided with Battery Wash Station
  
  
• Triple Stack – Single Sided
• Triple Stack – Double Sided
  
  
• Quad Stack – Double Sided