A forklift maker is developing trucks for food plants and outdoor yards, where trucks are washed down or work in rain and dust. The engineering team wants to settle the battery’s enclosure and connector choices before the BMS and wiring are finalised.
Decide the environment first, then the protection. Write down how the truck is cleaned, whether it works outdoors and how dusty the site is, and agree the ingress rating the pack must meet. Then choose connectors, cable glands, vents and service covers that keep that rating in use, not just on a new pack. Redway’s packs are listed at IP65; confirm the rating and the connector set for your custom design at quotation.
Decisions to fix early
- Environment. Wash-down method and pressure, rain exposure, dust type and temperature range.
- Ingress rating. The IP code the pack enclosure must meet; the first digit covers dust, the second water. Redway’s packs are listed at IP65, which covers dust and water jets.
- Connectors. Power connector type and rating, and whether it keeps its seal when unplugged; see our connectors article.
- Cable entries. Glands, bend radius and strain relief at every entry.
- Vents and covers. Pressure equalisation and service covers that reseal after maintenance.
- Displays and ports. Communication and diagnostic ports with caps or sealed housings.
Why it matters before the BMS
Connector and cable choices set where the BMS, fuses and communication harness sit, and how they are reached for service. Changing them late can mean a new enclosure. Our custom fit article covers tray dimensions, and our CAN bus article covers communication.
Validating the design
Agree how the rating will be confirmed for the custom pack, and test a sample truck on the real cleaning routine. OEM custom orders have no MOQ by default (1 piece), although some specific products carry a 10-piece minimum, so confirm for your model. Redway’s connectors and accessories page gives background.
Risk limits
An IP rating applies to the tested configuration; damage, open covers or worn seals reduce protection. Confirm the rating and connector specification for your model at quotation. This article is general guidance for engineers.
Additional perspectives
Show the supplier a video of how your customers clean the trucks. It answers questions a specification sheet cannot.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – OEM engineer perspective
Check that seals survive normal service. A cover that is hard to refit will not be refitted properly.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Service lead perspective
Tell us the connector you already use on the truck. Matching it early avoids adapters, which are a common weak point.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Supplier engineer perspective
Specifications are taken from Redway product pages as of October 2026. Where a figure isn’t published, this article says so. Confirm current specifications for your model with Redway before ordering. This article is general guidance, not a site-specific engineering assessment.
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