Ken Clark Delivers Two Guest Talks at the CV Show
Rotronics Managing Director Ken Clark visited the Commercial Vehicle Show 2021, held at the NEC in Birmingham.
Our team enjoy speaking to automotive industry professionals about the latest battery management technology and trends within the industry. Discussed trends are backed up by battery test result data from our online web-based dashboard and reporting system, ROBIS, now with over 4.3 million uploaded test results. The CV Show 2021 was the perfect opportunity to do just that, as it has been the largest industry-leading UK distribution, freight transport, and logistics roadshow for over 20 years.
On the 31st August and 1st September, Ken spent the day speaking to lots of friendly faces within the commercial automotive industry, whilst delivering two successful battery management guest talks to attendees. CV Show attendees included workshop managers, technicians, and others related to industries including commercial fleets, emergency services, public service vehicles, independent automotive workshops and marine and boating.
Guest Talk Overview
Ken spoke about the evolution of battery management technology, starting from outdated load testers to modern day reserve capacity and charge acceptance technology, present in the DCA8000 Dynamic Diagnostic Charging System.
Our talks explained how battery testing has evolved to suit the requirements of modern-day vehicles, as batteries are no longer used to simply start the engine, and now must support high vehicle consumer demands such as on-board electronics and start/stop capabilities. To maintain a batteries optimal serviceable lifecycle, conductance and reserve capacity testing is now required, as modern vehicle demands can discharge a battery much faster than older vehicle demands. This results in increased breakdowns or non-starts if not regularly maintained.
Topical trends were highlighted, including the importance of balancing 24v battery sets within commercial vehicles, the hidden battery killer, sulphation, and the impacts of COVID-19 on commercial workshops and vehicles.
Finally, we share what it means to be a proactive commercial vehicle workshop, including having the correct equipment and diagnostic capabilities, and the ability to track and measure battery management performance.
You Asked, Ken Answered
Each talk ended with a brief Q/A session, where attendees asked industry relevant questions such as:
What can be done to maintain battery conditions apart from keeping the battery clean and charged?
We recommend regular testing of the battery takes place before charging, to understand the health of the battery.
What should be done about unbalanced batteries?
Avoid using a traditional 12v charger on a 24v battery set. Instead, we recommend you disconnect the batteries and charge them individually, or use the Midtronics CXPRO 50/2 Charger, which has a dedicated twin output mode for balancing 24v sets.
Does a vehicle always keep a battery charged?
You can never assume modern day charging systems will restore a battery to a full state of charge, they will likely put some charge back into the battery, but they will rarely fully charge the battery. This is why additional charging considerations are important to maintain a healthy state of charge.
Why do my batteries explode?
Battery explosions are caused by a build-up of hydrogen in the battery. This can be as a result of poor battery maintenance or overcharging of the battery.
Ken thoroughly enjoyed speaking at the CV Show 2021 and is happy to answer any additional questions commercial industry professionals may have.
If you are interested in inviting Rotronics to host a battery management webinar or guest talk in the future, please contact us on 0121 514 0605.
