Hello All,
I am looking for any qualified opinions and those who have experienced an order picker stop from a flat battery mid use sounding an audible alarm and error code.
Here goes, start of my evening shift I unhook machine from charge previously left by worker from morning shift. Battery says 60% and off I go to pick orders. Travelling at top speed in fully lowered position the machine suddenly stops causing me to face-plant into the windscreen and ultimately results in hurting my lower back from the unexpected stop. This has happened before and left me uninjured but on this particular day I was caught unawares.
The company I once worked for denies the order pickers ever stop from battery fault like I experienced. The batteries were old and the mechanic stated to me the battery gets a false charge from leaving it on for only 20 mins causing the battery meter to display a higher percentage of charge then what is actually left in the battery. Each time the machine stopped and alarm sounded I would have to turn the key to off and back on again, this allowed me to drive for a short time before it happened again and again.
Please help me with any info regarding this being a known problem to order pickers, error code, etc. The machine was a Raymond Order Picker that could go 8 metres high.
Ultimately I have been left disabled from the three spinal surgeries to correct the slipage in my spine that resulted from the whiplash at the hips when it stopped suddenly. Officials tried to replicate by taking foot of dead man which the machine came to a steady stop with the driver ready for the stop. A driver who is relaxed and not expecting the stop will face-plant the windscreen on most occassions.
Thanks for taking the time to read ny post, I appologise for the length but I am desperate trying to take on one of the worlds largest companies as an ordinary disabled man.
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Thanks for your comment Forkingabout, much appreciated. I am amazed at how many members of this site have taken time out to help me by offering thoughts and opinions. If any helps me prove my case that would be fantastic. Really the most help has been reclaiming my sanity from powers that be stating my incident was made up and never actually or could have happened. Thanks again all from me and my family who are in this battle with me.
One of the tests I sometimes carry out for a suspect battery is to drive at full speed then operate the lift, if a battery is suspect the truck will stop suddenly / cut out.
Obviously when I carry out that test I'm expecting the truck to stop suddenly.
Thank-you for your welcomed reply RayTech, your information will be extremely valuable in helping me prove my incident.
Most appreciative,
Adam
The poor battery maintenance you describe will cause any forklift to stop! opportunity charging gives a false reading, and the voltage drops too low, truck stops because electric brake has no power, and stops dead...your nose into screen! The brake is spring loaded, on all the time, until the computer powers it off. Poor maintenance alone will cause the truck to stop. Could be any brand!
Battery needs 8 hour cycle charge, 8 hrs to cool, then used until it's dead again. That's one life. Charge it here and there 20 mins, that kills the battery and makes it unsafe for anyone to use
Hello Edward T,
Thank-you for taking the time to help me, your information is extremely valuable and highly appreciated.
there are many reasons an order picker might go into full traction shut down, as a safety measure. low battery _should_ make the lift cut out before the traction shuts down. full traction shut down is more likely to be from some (safety) thing where the alternative would have been an uncontrolled operation (run away full speed with out control*, or not being able to steer).
on trucks using an SCR controller, low battery voltage CAN cause a situation of run away (the main SCR turns on and does not turn off, technically speaking,) which would correctly trigger a full safety shut down that would require the key switch (or maybe disconnect the battery, in some cases) to get the machine to reset/reboot.
I would call it a "known safety feature", not a "known problem". good luck.
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