BYD forklift application case in the beer industry

     Summer is the peak season for beer production and sales, and the market demand is concentrated. The beer industry has the characteristics of large differences in light and peak seasons, and the rhythm of production and sales is concentrated. And the packaging of glass bottles and aluminum cans is fragile and fragile, which has high standards for the safety, stability and timeliness of logistics handling. How to balance production capacity, quality and transshipment safety in the peak season, and optimize the logistics system are the key operational needs of beer production enterprises. Relying on the core technology of new energy industrial vehicles, BYD forklifts rely on a full range of handling equipment and customized logistics solutions to accurately adapt to the complex working conditions of the beer industry and effectively solve various problems in the use of traditional handling equipment.

First, customer background

        This cooperative enterprise is a well-known domestic beer leading brand. It has been deeply involved in the industry for many years. It has nearly 100 production bases across the country, with a wide market coverage and a stable share. The Hubei factory that has landed this cooperation is one of the core and established production plants of the brand.

The factory is equipped with advanced brewing, packaging and quality inspection equipment, with mature production technology, an annual output scale of one million tons, and more than 1,000 employees. It is an important production and sales hub in Central China. The factory has rich logistics scenarios and high operation frequency, which requires strict all-weather operation capacity and stability of forklift equipment.

Site conditions and equipment pain points

1. Working conditions

        The factory has about 60 forklifts, mainly electric counterbalanced forklifts and electric tractors, covering the whole process scenarios such as raw material unloading, empty bottle transfer, workshop process circulation, finished product entry and exit, loading and delivery. Especially in the peak summer production and sales season, forklifts continue to operate at high frequency and have high loads.

2. Pain points of traditional equipment

        The factory had previously used lead-acid battery forklifts for a long time, making it difficult to adapt to the seasonal production characteristics of the beer industry. There were many shortcomings in daily use.

       Battery life and charging are limited, restricting peak season production capacity: lead-acid battery forklifts have limited battery life, take a long time to charge, and are prone to downtime and waiting to be charged during high-frequency operations in peak seasons, resulting in a disconnect in material transportation and affecting the overall production and shipment rhythm.

       Low-temperature adaptability is weak, and the operation is unstable throughout the year: traditional batteries are generally cold-resistant, with a significant decrease in battery life in low-temperature environments in winter, and large fluctuations in equipment operation status, which cannot guarantee normal and stable operation.

       The operation and maintenance are cumbersome and the operating costs are high: lead-acid batteries require regular maintenance, the battery loss is replaced frequently, and the factory needs to be equipped with exclusive equipment and manpower for operation and maintenance, which requires additional material and labor costs.

           The working environment is simple and the personnel experience is poor: traditional forklifts do not have a closed working space, and the high temperature in summer and severe cold in winter can easily cause operator fatigue and affect the operation accuracy and efficiency.

III. BYD customized logistics solutions

        Combining the field conditions of the factory and the core needs of customers, BYD forklift relies on multi-industry service experience to customize a new energy logistics handling plan with strong adaptability for the characteristics of the beer industry, such as clear off-peak seasons, fragile goods transshipment, and all-weather operations.

        1. Batch deployment of main equipment: More than 40 3.5T lithium iron phosphate counterbalanced forklifts were deployed, equipped with BYD's self-developed lithium battery technology, which supports rapid energy replenishment, stable battery life, and can adapt to high and low temperature conditions, fully meeting the factory's peak season uninterrupted high-frequency handling needs.

        2. Supporting tractors to improve transfer efficiency: three 25T lithium-ion tractors are equipped to adapt to the scene of centralized transfer of large-scale finished products and materials in the factory area, opening up logistics channels in workshops, warehousing, and loading to improve batch turnover efficiency.

        3. Customized accessory adaptation scenario: According to the characteristics of beer material transfer, double tray forks are installed, which effectively increases the single handling capacity. At the same time, the transfer process is smooth, which can reduce the collision loss of glass bottles and aluminum cans, taking into account efficiency and safety.

        4. Humanized cockpit optimization operation experience: The equipment is equipped with a closed cab, equipped with fans, air conditioners, and other temperature control facilities, which can adapt to the temperature environment in different seasons of summer and winter, providing a comfortable working environment for operators and reducing the risk of fatigue.

IV. Project implementation effectiveness

        After nearly a year of actual use, BYD forklifts can be adapted to the plant's low-peak season, high and low temperature full-scene operations, with comprehensive performance superior to traditional equipment, gaining customer recognition and achieving multi-dimensional quality improvement and cost reduction for enterprises.

        Simplified operation and maintenance, reducing operating costs: BYD lithium iron phosphate batteries do not require daily cumbersome maintenance, long battery life, low replacement frequency, no need for exclusive power replacement equipment and operation and maintenance manpower, greatly streamlining operation and maintenance investment.

        Fast charging continues to ensure peak season production capacity: The equipment supports charging and use at any time, which can realize continuous shift operation in peak season, avoid logistics stagnation caused by equipment shutdown and waiting to be charged, and accurately match the full production rhythm of the production line.

        Good weather resistance, stable battery life in all seasons: the equipment performs well in high and low temperature adaptation, with a battery life of up to 7-8 hours under normal operating conditions. It can still maintain an effective battery life of about 6 hours in the low temperature environment in winter, and the operation state is stable throughout the year.

        Optimize the working environment and improve the safety of transportation: The temperature-controlled closed cab improves the extreme weather operating environment, reduces personnel fatigue operation problems, effectively reduces the risk of damage to fragile packaging during transportation, and enhances the safety and stability of the operation.

V. Summary and Industry Outlook

        At present, more than 40 BYD forklifts have been stably serving the leading beer factory, helping enterprises to improve logistics efficiency, reduce operation and maintenance costs, and improve operation safety, providing a mature reference for the upgrade of new energy logistics in the beer industry.

        In the future, BYD forklifts will continue to deepen the food and beverage, automobile manufacturing, furniture, ceramics and other industries, combine different working conditions to require continuous technology and product iteration, optimize customized logistics solutions, and use green and intelligent new energy handling equipment to help enterprises in various industries achieve efficient logistics and green upgrades.