July 26, 2016 Staying Power

Volume 5 | Issue 2

Whatever the application, from running snowmobiles to powering a telecommunications central office, Douglas Battery provides the products.

Douglas Battery Manufacturing Company was founded in 1921 by G. Wilson Douglas, Sr., who along with his brother, Thomas S. Douglas, Jr. built an enduring company based on integrity and hard work. Today, the family tradition continues. With more than 80 years under its belt, Douglas Battery designs, manufactures, and delivers state-of-the-art battery technology to its customers.

Behind each of the hundreds of item numbers in its inventory is a history of continuous improvement. For example, in one item alone, the company counts more than 125 product improvements over the last 12 years. The company’s technical skills, its pride and dedication are embodied by the nearly 1,000 employees who produce 5 million units per year and market them in the U.S. and internationally through a system of strategically located distribution centers. From design and construction through total recyclability of many products, Douglas Battery focuses on the features that matter most.

Performance Artists
The first thing you notice about Douglas Battery premium products is their iconic lion logo, emblematic of power and the perfect image of performance and productivity. The company’s Legacy Power System has a full range of dependable motive power batteries and chargers used for a wide variety of applications that demand maximum power or economical, light duty power.

For the ultimate in maintenance-free power, Douglas Battery offers its Legacy Platinum System to provide long life and superior performance while reducing maintenance costs and operating hazards. Legacy Platinum’s valve-regulated construction and gas-recombinant technology eliminate the watering, corrosion cleanup, lead exposure, and leakage associated with traditional flooded batteries. Consider these design advantages: Valve-regulated cell construction eliminates the need for watering and prevents spillage and corrosion. Absorbed glass mat technology provides more capacity and allows opportunity charging. Burned-on inter-cell connectors eliminate loose connections caused by vibrations and never need retorquing.

Legacy Platinum is also a cleaner, safer system in which the user does not contact the electrolyte. The system does not require a dedicated battery room. Reduced gassing means that Legacy Platinum can be recharged virtually anywhere. Its lead/calcium/tin alloy creates longer shelf and service life and is totally recyclable. And it’s backed by a comprehensive manufacturer’s warranty. The Legacy Platinum is available in a walkie combo, an innovative concept in pallet jack batteries that combines maintenance-free batteries with the perfectly matched charger in a single, compact unit—an easy, safe, convenient package for light to medium material handling applications.

Another quality line, Douglas Battery’s High Performance Legacy products, also produce power throughout the entire life of the battery with unsurpassed performance and dependability under tough conditions. Legacy High Performance Batteries feature flip-top vent caps for safe and easy watering and a low-maintenance lead alloy for reduced gassing during the charge cycle. The company’s proprietary Douglas Toughcoat® is a super strong tray that withstands corrosion. Douglas Battery’s full, five-year limited warranty adds ongoing peace of mind.

The Legacy Battery Charger combines a power supply tailored to today’s advanced lead-acid battery technologies with a highly responsive control algorithm. This means precise charging throughout the charge cycle. Legacy High Performance also comes in a Battery-Charger Combo. It’s the ultimate answer for energy savings, extended battery life, and productivity. The long-lasting, single compact unit is ideal for light duty walkie-truck applications.

Crank It Up
Douglas Battery also manufacturers heavy duty batteries, including a complete line of diesel-starting batteries for any application — whether it’s plowing a field or firing up a bus. Its 31 Fleet Series is perfect for on- and off-road applications. Need automotive batteries? Douglas’ Omni line fits 80 percent of all automotive applications. Choose the cold-cranking amps and reserve capacity you want. Its Gold Series also delivers starting power whenever needed. Douglas Battery is so confident in these products that they offer a 24-month emergency roadside assistance program for its customers’ customers. What’s more, Douglas’ 60-month Automotive Batteries are built to withstand extreme operating conditions. The company also make batteries for imported cars that are original equipment in some of the world’s finest automobiles.

Douglas Battery applies its know-how to a line of rugged, high-capacity marine and RV batteries—all with maintenance-free construction, corrosion-resistant terminals, and convenient carrying handles, among other features and design advantages. For dependable starts season after season, it also produces lawn and garden batteries engineered for long life and dependability for use in powering mowers, garden tractors, portable pumps, generator sets, even snowmobiles. In addition, Douglas Battery offers its Safeguard® DSV technology, a large Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) system that can be stacked in a modular, compact unit. Safeguard DSV are installed horizontally and provide up to 60 percent more energy per unit volume than conventional batteries. The Safeguard Flooded Flatplate is designed for reliability and long life in telecom central office, mobile switching, switchgear, UPS back-up, and emergency lighting applications.

Born in the USA
The company’s manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C. are equipped with the latest technologies to allow Douglas Battery to develop its products for specific applications. Every battery is designed, tooled, and manufactured for the job to be done and for the equipment that must do the job. Task-specific batteries are built to withstand extremes in temperature and workload. Its superior design and development capabilities rely on concurrent engineering in alloy-appropriate designs, with conventional antimony, hybrid, and calcium/calcium versions available to best fit the application range and intended use. Douglas Battery’s product planning process includes input from a multi-disciplinary group that often includes customers and suppliers.

Automated manufacturing maintains product flow and assures consistency. Its in-house laboratory utilizes some of the most sophisticated and advanced battery testing equipment in the industry. In addition to numerous automatic testers and inspections, an extensive internal audit program checks the processes in this QS-9000 certified Quality System. Douglas Battery has the stamp of approval from original equipment manufacturers such as BMW, Nissan, Kawasaki, Kobelco, Hatteras, Honda Power Equipment, and others. In addition to corporate operations and manufacturing, all of Douglas Battery’s regional distribution centers are ISO-9002 certified.

Reliability, endurance, and performance–these are the keys to success for Douglas Battery’s products and for this powerhouse company.

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