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Chapter 11: Maintaining Fleet Batteries
Unlike individual battery users, who come to know their batteries
like a good friend, fleet users must share the batteries from
a pool of unknown packs. While an individual user can detect
even a slight reduction in runtime, fleet operators have no
way of knowing the behavior or condition of the battery when
pulling it from the charger. They are at the mercy of the
battery. It’s almost like playing roulette.
 It
is recommended that fleet battery users set up a battery maintenance
program. Such a plan exercises all batteries on a regular
basis, reconditions those that fall below a set target capacity
and ‘weeds out’ the deadwood. Usually, batteries get serviced
only when they no longer hold a charge or when the equipment
is sent in for repair. As a result, battery-operated equipment
becomes unreliable and battery-related failures often occur.
The loss of adequate battery power is as detrimental as any
other malfunction in the system.
Implementing a battery maintenance plan requires
an effort by management to schedule the required service for
the battery packs. This should become an integral component
of an organization’s overall equipment maintenance and repair
activities. A properly managed program improves battery performance,
enhances reliability and cuts replacement costs.
The maintenance plan should include all rechargeable
batteries in use. Large organizations often employ a variety
of batteries ranging from wireless communications, to mobile
computing, to emergency medical equipment, to video cameras,
portable lighting and power tools. The performance of these
batteries is critical and there is little room for failure.
Whether the batteries are serviced in-house with
their own battery analyzers or sent to an independent firm
specializing in that service, sufficient spare batteries are
required to replace those packs that have been temporarily
removed. When the service is done on location and the batteries
can be reinstated within 24 hours, only five spares in
a fleet of 100 batteries are required. This calculation
is based on servicing five batteries per day in a 20 workday
month, which equals100 batteries per month. If the batteries
are sent away, five spares are needed for each day the batteries
are away. If 100 batteries are absent for one week, for
example, 35 spare batteries are needed.
Manufacturers of portable equipment support battery
maintenance programs. Not only does such a plan reduce unexpected
downtime, a well-performing battery fleet makes the equipment
work better. If the recurring problems relating to the battery
can be eliminated, less equipment is sent to the service centers.
A well-managed battery maintenance program also prolongs battery
life, a benefit that looks good for the vendor.
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