JLG Releases New Battery Monitoring System

JLG Releases New Battery Monitoring System

McConnellsburg, Pa. — March 10, 2020 — JLG Industries, Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE:OSK] and leading global manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms and telehandlers, is launching a new advanced battery monitoring system at CONEXPO 2020, March 10-14 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at booth #F5324.

This time-saving solution for electric scissor lifts and boom lifts analyzes the machine's battery charge and usage and provides superior diagnostic information on the battery and charger system. Components include a new Smart Charger, which logs the charge history and details on the machine controller, and a Mobile Control hardware module that provides wireless connectivity and interaction.

"The new system delivers much greater detail around the charge history than was previously possible, which allows users to make more accurate service decisions," said Korry Kobel, director of engineering, JLG. "The additional functionality of the highly-accurate state-of-charge details, coupled with the feature-rich mobile application for battery monitoring, will lead to lower total cost of ownership for our customers and equipment users."

When used together, the system components provide real-time information, including accurate state-of-charge, battery depletion tracking, fluid level monitoring and charging history. All information is available in an intuitive mobile application that empowers users to make informed decisions about their machine's energy system.

Access to this level of battery information provides several key benefits for machine owners and operators, including:

• Increased Uptime: Machines that lose charge during the workday slow productivity. Owners and operators can analyze depletion tracking and current status at the fleet level to gain a better understanding of the batteries and charger in seconds, without the time-consuming process of visiting each machine.
• Reduced Maintenance and Replacement Costs: The application's actionable data encourages machine owners and operators to follow best charge/discharge practices that can lead to a 40% improvement in battery life. Additionally, this tool helps reduce up to 70% of charger replacements that are performed in error due to a lack of actionable data.
• Time Savings: Time-consuming charger algorithm changes are simplified, so maintenance can be up to eight times faster. Additionally, service technicians will spend less time changing batteries and/or chargers, and instead can monitor them to make more productive decisions about battery maintenance.

Machine operators can access battery data in several convenient formats based on their needs. They can use the new Smart Charger on its own and access data with a handheld analyzer or pair the Smart Charger with the Mobile Control hardware. Users can then access data from a wireless mobile application available to download in the Apple App Store.

The mobile app gives operators access to battery information when they are within 30 feet of the machine or group of machines that are actively in use or plugged in for charging. This gives a one-to-many connection locally that drastically improves the data's effectiveness and operator convenience.

The Smart Charger is now standard on all new ES Series scissor lifts and optional for the R Series scissor lifts. Mobile Control hardware is optional for both machine families. Customers who already own ES or R Series scissor lifts can retrofit their machines by purchasing the system's components separately or together based on how they wish to access the data.