366: Wireless Charging with Resonant Link
366: Wireless Charging with Resonant Link
Resonant Link is a leading provider of wireless charging solutions for medical devices, industrial and material handling equipment, electric vehicles, and consumer electronics. CEO and co-founder at Resonant Link, Grayson Zulauf, joins The New Warehouse Podcast to discuss wireless charging solutions for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), forklifts, and other material handling equipment (MHE) commonly found in a warehouse environment. This technology promises to improve safety and reliability compared to other charging options.
Key Takeaways
- Resonant Link recently announced their new 19.2 kW, 400 A wireless lift truck charger. The technology offers an efficient and fast way of wireless charging with a greater tolerance in terms of location accuracy and enhanced safety – automatically turning off if any metal is detected or operators are nearby. Next week, you can see the new charger at ProMat 2023 by visiting them at booth #N9428.
- Resonant Link is driving innovation in the material handling industry by lowering operating costs, lowering capital expenses, and driving revenue. Grayson adds wireless charging can decrease the number of vehicles, batteries, and energy required to produce and find materials.
- Wireless charging is compatible with lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, does not require any changes to existing battery architecture, and only requires four screws on the vehicle and install a transmitter for installation. This simplifies implementation and increases productivity, as forklift operators can focus more on their work without worrying about plugging in/charging at the end of their shift.
- Fleet managers can look to adopt the technology for their fleet vehicles, so operators no longer have to worry about plugging in the vehicles during their breaks – this also reduces battery size and cost. Grayson envisions the future warehouse as an entire power ecosystem with intelligent routing based on charging needs and opportunities.
Listen to the episode below and leave your thoughts in the comments.
For more information on Resonant Link, click here.
To connect with Grayson on LinkedIn, click here.
For more information about warehouse sustainability, check out the podcasts below.
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[…] 366: Wireless Charging with Resonant Link […]
Phil Denton
I’m always surprised at how much raw power can be transferred wirelessly these days. Most cellphones charge at 15 watts or less, so seeing 15 THOUSAND watts pushed through an industrial wireless charger is a little mind-blowing.
Some thoughts from this episode:
-Tesla was such an underrated inventor!
-It was really interesting to hear about the Resonant Link architecture. It sounds like it’s an improved, much more efficient version of legacy inductive charging?
-Even if a new power delivery mechanism is capable of charging a battery at 2x-4x the current charge rate, the batteries must also be able to support this increase charge rate without a) overheating/damaging the battery or b) significantly decreasing the overall lifespan of the battery by charging at a faster rate than the manufacturer-recommended spec.
-Excellent points about fixing a company’s work-to-charge ratio!
-I agree 100% with the adoption path. Replacing wired for wireless chargers FIRST, then adding additional opportunistic charging, then adding perpetual power throughout the warehouse is definitely the way to go. Providing power on the go is a really hard problem to solve though!