Legacy Arctic batteries are designed for cold conditions.

Industrial battery brand Douglas Battery is incorporating technology improvements in its Legacy Arctic battery line for cold storage and freezer applications.

Brian Faust, general manager, says enhancements to the existing robust battery design include an arctic electrolyte solution, an insulator barrier and an elevated specific gravity.

Laboratory and field trials on numerous forklift brands and models preceded the product's recent re-entry into the commercial market. For testing purposes, "demo batteries were sent out to two local companies so that we could perform regular testing and take data readings", he says. In addition, "a fairly large national account agreed to run this battery under the highest of confidentiality". That demonstration began in early 2009 and continues to provide Douglas Battery with data and performance information.

"The thick-plate, high-performance technology of the Legacy battery has been integrated with an exclusive arctic electrolyte solution," Faust notes. "The result is a durable high-performance battery that significantly reduces the loss of capacity that is typical when batteries are used in cold storage and freezer applications." A Legacy Arctic battery can run up to 15% longer in low temperatures than a standard forklift truck battery, according to Faust.

The electrolyte solution acts as an antifreeze. "The solution, just like in your car, ensures that as the battery becomes more discharged and the concentration of water becomes greater, it will not freeze, and it allows the battery to re-charge much easier," Faust notes.

The newly designed thermal tray insulator enables effective capacity and voltage levels as well as enhanced performance of outer cells. The five-fold plate insulations system provides further protection for a long service life.

Originally, Douglas introduced a comparable product in 2007, but "once the economy reared its ugly head, we were sold to EnerSys (in 2010), and they opted to shelve this product until we could get a better handle on our everyday product", Faust says. "This product was reintroduced in February 2012 to the commercial market."

Douglas Battery has US dealer coverage in all 50 states and the US territory of Puerto Rico. "We also have extensive coverage throughout Canada and Mexico," Faust says. "The number of reps is right at 75 and that includes the rep groups with multiple locations."

An office for sales, customer service, warranty administration, marketing and brand decisions remains in Winston-Salem after EnerSys opted to move the manufacturing operations there to a Richmond, Kentucky facility.

Publicly traded parent firm EnerSys of Reading, Pennsylvania reports profit of USD144.0 million on sales of USD2.28 billion for the fiscal year ended 31 March. Business involving motive-power products accounted for USD1.19 billion of the sales.