Mobile Wash Stations Solve Problems for Forklift Battery Dealers, Fleet Operators

May 9, 2018 - St. Louis, MO — BHS, Inc., a leading provider of forklift battery handling equipment and warehouse solutions, announced the release of a battery wash station that is completely self-contained. The new unit packs a stainless steel cabinet and two 120-gallon water tanks onto a single mobile frame.

Users fill the first tank with clean water, then bring the self-contained Mobile Wash Station (MWS-47-WT-SS) to the battery storage area. During the wash, the station collects all wastewater and splashback, routing fluids into the second tank for clean, off-site treatment and disposal.

This design was inspired by battery dealers, who have historically struggled to provide on-site battery wash services in facilities that don't have water supplies or drains near their forklift batteries.

"A lot of our customers were asking for something like this," said Melissa Bowen of BHS Marketing. "Maybe the end user's renting their batteries, or maybe the dealer has a maintenance deal worked out with a buyer. Either way, customers want a wash service that can go where their batteries are. That's what this new unit was built for."

Battery wash stations must be durable enough to withstand the corrosive effects of electrolyte and the weight of batteries, making mobility a challenge. That's why BHS engineers added integrated fork pockets into the MWS-47-WT-SS frame. This innovation allows users to easily reposition the 850-pound unit with a single lift truck.

"If you're at a facility washing forklift batteries, you're going to have forklifts available," Bowen said. "You don't want to push around a 900-pound wash station on casters. But with a forklift, it's easy to set these things down right next to the stands, even when the [water] tanks are full."

Manufacturers recommend washing forklift batteries periodically to prevent the buildup of electrolyte residue, which can reduce capacity and cause electrical problems in lift trucks. Mobile Wash Stations from BHS allow fleet operators and battery dealers to accomplish this vital maintenance task while complying with strict environmental regulations.