Attachment One - Questions and Answers.pdf

Questions and Answers

Q1- What is the charger brand that the (4) Hyster E65 Utilize?

The brand of charger has more to do with the brand of battery than the actual forklift.

The brand of charger that must go with the DEKA Dominator (Gel) batteries is DEKA

Powerforce or AMETEK Eclipse II. The reason for this is the BID device installed on top of the battery. This electronic identifier communicates directly with the charger to maximize the charge without overcharging, prevent off-gassing, reduce charge time, and schedule periodic equalizing charges automatically.

Other brands of battery or charger, even if they do offer a similar electronic BID feature, will not be interchangeable with the batteries or chargers that I already have in circulation at this battery shop.

See answer to Q5 for charger model numbers.

Q2- Any specific reason these 4 Hyster E65 units are utilizing a Gel battery if they are not needing to be shipboard approved? Do the others need to be Gel batteries as well or just lead acid?

For the E65XN lifts, the short answer is Uptime. Our battery shop is equipped with an overhead crane to swap batteries rather than waiting for them to charge in the lift.

E65XN forklifts from other commands on the base are using the Gel batteries, which use a different connector and different chargers than typical flooded lead acid batteries. While the E65XN forklift is technically capable of using either Gel or Flooded batteries, swapping between the two requires modifications to the forklift which would make our quick-swap process completely meaningless unless we doubled the quantity of batteries that we are ordering so that we would have extra flooded batteries on hand for swapping with these particular lifts.

The other batteries do not need to be Gel.

Q3- On item 4, could we see a picture of the Hyster E65XN's data plate or the actual minimum weight on the data plate? The minimum weight in the Solicitation looks like a battery weight. The Hyster E65XN comes in two models --one has a 3100 lbs minimum weight requirement and the other has a 3400 pound minimum weight requirements therefore we need to know which model it is.

I see 3100 lbs minimum on the data plate, BUT we have had issues before with batteries failing the weight test inspection for being a few pounds too light for the forklift rating. Battery manufacturing can vary a few hundred pounds depending on the battery, so make sure that 3100 lbs is truly a minimum and not a target weight.

Q4- Regarding the battery itself-Would a battery with dimensions of 38.38” x 33.81” x 22.63” tall fit this

“custom” compartment?

Yes, that should fit fine. I may have to adjust or remove a spacer, but there is room for that size battery.

Q5- What chargers are being used for these batteries?

That depends entirely on which batteries you end up ordering. I have about 50 chargers (many of which are broken) and over a dozen different types and brands.

For the Flooded lead acid batteries, I have a variety of chargers set to different voltages and AH ratings based on the size and rating of each battery currently being used in the fleet. Most of my chargers are very old (need to be replaced) and can only be set to one type and rating of battery at a time. I only have a few newer universal smart chargers that have the ability to automatically adjust the charge rate based on the AH rating of the battery. If I am getting new chargers, please get “EnerSys Impaq EI3-IN-

4Y” for 36V batteries and “ECOTEC ACCESS 13/80” for the 72V battery.

For the Gel batteries I have a particular set of brand-specific chargers that will communicate with the BID devices installed on my current Gel batteries. There are two options that will work: DEKA Powerforce or AMETEK Eclipse II.

Q6- Do these batteries have to be specially packaged (crated, etc.), or would it be acceptable for these batteries to just be banded to the skid for delivery to the facility.

Banded to a skid should be ok. Most batteries are delivered on a wood pallet with wood blocking around it and banding. Certain shipping companies may impose their own guidelines for hazardous or spillable freight, but the battery manufacturer will know how to package the battery.

Q7- For Clin 004. Would a battery with dimensions of 38.38” x 33.81” x 22.63” tall fit this “custom” compartment?

See answer to Q4.

Q8- Please provide the minimum weight requirement as stamped on the three forklifts’ specification plates (not the current battery’s weight).

Reason- the forklift battery weight shown as a minimum is not the design minimum battery weight so you limit the choice of battery unnecessarily. Also, the Item 4 - Hyster E65XN comes in two models --one has a 3100 pound minimum weight requirement and the other has a 3400 pound minimum weight requirement-therefore we need to know which model it is to get the proper battery.

There are two good reasons that the quoted battery is a couple hundred pounds heavier than the minimum weight rating. The first is a manufacturing margin of error.

Battery manufacturing can vary a few hundred pounds depending on the battery, AND we have had issues before with batteries failing the weight test inspection for being a few pounds too light for the forklift rating. DO NOT use the minimum weight rating as the target weight, or we may end up wasting money on a battery we cannot use. The second reason is the battery shop battery pool. Batteries in the shop are charged and ready to quick-swap with any forklift that can use it. The heavier the battery, the more forklifts are compatible.

See answer to Q3 for E65XN, other data plates below.