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Extractors

BHS, Inc. has been at the forefront of forklift battery handling technology since 1979. In these posts, we share the expertise we’ve developed over the decades.

Topics

  • Streamlining On-Site Forklift Battery Service for Dealers

    If you rent forklift batteries, you probably prefer to handle maintenance yourself. Reliable forklift batteries keep customers coming back — and regular service is essential for battery health. Besides, those batteries aren’t just sources of motive power. They’re also core business assets. Protecting them is also protecting your bottom line. But for many forklift battery dealers, service can be tricky.... Continue Reading

  • How a Battery Monitoring Solution Protects Forklift Fleets

    If you operate forklifts today, odds are your fleet relies on electric power. An estimated 65 percent of forklifts in the North American market run on electricity. In Europe, that figure is 80 percent. The market for electric lift trucks is expected to expand by a compound annual growth rate of 7.1 percent through 2030, reaching a value of more... Continue Reading

  • 5 Electrical Sales Tips for Distributors

    Whatever salespeople learned in 2019, much of it didn’t apply in 2020, as the unconventional year changed most industries in profound ways. For electrical distributors, many of those changes were difficult; according to one April survey, the electrical distribution channel diminished 10 percent during the lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic, with particularly steep declines in metropolitan areas and... Continue Reading

  • The Forklift Battery Puller: When to Upgrade from Manual to Powered

    Every facility that utilizes electric forklifts needs to carefully consider the costs associated with forklift battery pullers. For operations with one or two lift trucks, that’s not an especially difficult process; simple manual battery pullers can handle changeouts somewhat efficiently and keep workers on the floor. As an operation grows, however, the costs associated with forklift battery changes starts to... Continue Reading

  • Forklift Ergonomics for Multi-Shift Facilities

    Anyone who’s operated a lift truck for any length of time understands the importance of forklift ergonomics, and employers are following suit. Lift truck operators can lose steam as the shift wears on. A tired or uncomfortable operator is less productive than a fresh, well-rested worker. The good news is that forklift manufacturers are aware of the challenge. One product... Continue Reading

  • Forklift Battery Operators: Why Every Warehouse Needs One

    Companies that run one or two electric lift trucks generally rely on forklift operators to change batteries. As the fleet begins to grow, however, it starts to make more sense to create a new position at the warehouse: the forklift battery operator, sometimes also called a battery room manager or even a battery changer (note that we reserve that last... Continue Reading

  • Electric Forklifts in Multichannel Retail Facilities

    Brick-and-mortar retailers that run e-commerce channels out of existing stores have a competitive advantage, especially if they operate multiple locations. The combined retail space/distribution center offers retailers incredible access to customers, whether they’re picking items up in the store or having them shipped directly. There is one challenge, however: Space. The retail store and the distribution center have totally different... Continue Reading

  • Preparing the Forklift Battery Room for DC Peak Season

    Every retailer has a peak season, and distribution centers are no different. Certainly, the peak can differ between one outlet and another — an office-supply store may experience peak season during the final days of the summer, when parents stock up for back-to-school season, while most general ecommerce DCs brace for the winter holidays. Whenever peak-to-average order ratios soar, it’s... Continue Reading

  • Alternatives to Going Forklift-Free at Automotive Manufacturing Facilities

    Automotive manufacturing facilities have long been at the forefront of lean manufacturing — after all, the practice was born out of Toyota’s process of continual improvement, or kaizen. But unlike some other sectors, many auto manufacturers are choosing not to go forklift-free to achieve their goals. That’s because automakers have discovered how to become leaner without sacrificing the muscle of... Continue Reading

  • Why A-Frame Gantries Are Best for Vertical Forklift Battery Extraction

    A-frame Gantry Cranes are the safest and most efficient way to vertically remove forklift batteries from trucks. While it’s certainly possible to remove a battery from a forklift with a second lift truck, or even to use a modified hydraulic engine hoist to replace a forklift battery, only Gantries designed specifically for the unique working traits of forklift batteries can... Continue Reading

  • Forklift Battery Handling Equipment for the Coming Year’s Budget

    Improved battery room configurations and new equipment can yield big gains in productivity and profitability. As the end of the year draws closer, managers of large forklift fleets consider placing an investment in this type of infrastructure in the coming year’s budget. BHS custom designs its battery handling equipment for safety, efficiency, and lifetime cost savings. A complete system can... Continue Reading

  • BHS Mobile Showrooms Offer “Try Before You Buy” Experience, Boost Sales

    Most people wouldn’t buy a car without a test drive. And most business managers wouldn’t invest in a new collection of printers without testing one out on-site. Across all industries, consumers show a strong preference for trying products before deciding to buy. Purchasers of forklift battery handling equipment are subject to the same consumer psychology, a phenomenon that marketing analysts... Continue Reading

  • Utilizing Vertical Space in E-Commerce Fulfillment Centers

    Vertical space has been a hot-button issue in warehousing for a long time, but with the rise of e-commerce, boosting clearance height is virtually required for fulfillment operations to remain competitive. The increased value of vertical space in fulfillment centers stems from a sea-change in shopping culture, driven by online shopping. Mail-order catalogs like the iconic Sears, Roebuck, and Co.... Continue Reading

  • Write Off Your Battery Extractor System This Year

    Two scenarios: A Battery Extractor System is purchased with a total cost of $500,000. Total annual spend on equipment is less than $2,000,000. Section 179 allows a full deduction of $500,000 of your Battery Extractor System. 100% of the cost! Total annual spend on equipment is greater than $2,000,000. Bonus depreciation:  $250,000 Standard depreciation:  $35,714 Total depreciation expense:  $285,714 Nearly... Continue Reading

  • How Forklift Battery Handling Equipment Helps to Meet Federal Safety Regulations

    There are a couple of basic regulatory safety issues to keep in mind when you outfit your battery room. OSHA regulations require a “conveyor, overhead hoist, or equivalent material handling equipment” to assist staff in changing forklift batteries. The reasoning is plain: Forklift batteries are heavy. Without the proper mechanical assistance, staff members are at a high risk of workplace... Continue Reading

  • Seamlessly Transitioning to Electric Power for Forklifts

    By 2014, over half of the forklifts in the United States had already made the shift to electric power. Only 36 percent of the U.S. forklift market stuck with fossil fuels that year. Reluctance to make the switch to a greener, more cost-effective source of motive power usually boils down to two things: anxiety about higher up-front costs and fear... Continue Reading

  • How to Choose The Right Operator Aboard Battery Extractor for Your Operation

    If your forklift fleet continues to grow, the time will come when manually changing out batteries just won’t make practical sense. That’s when it’s time to make the investment in an Operator Aboard Battery Extractor. There are many types of Battery Extractors out there, and the many larger and finer points among them might seem a little bit confusing. When... Continue Reading

  • Forklift Battery Handling Equipment for Smaller Fleets

    Not every forklift user operates a vast fleet of hundreds. In fact, most don’t. A 2010 survey by industry journal DC Velocity found that the bulk of their respondents (57 percent) operated fewer than 25 lift trucks. Only 12 percent regularly used more than 100 trucks. The same survey uncovered another key statistic: almost 90 percent of the respondents said... Continue Reading

  • Battery Changing Solutions For Existing Pallet Trucks

    Most of the published advice on forklift battery management is aimed at larger fleets. But what about the small operation — the kind that only runs one or two forklifts? Facilities with smaller forklift fleets — even down to a single truck — probably realize that an extensive forklift battery changing system doesn’t make sense for their bottom lines. After... Continue Reading