Forklifts & Lift Trucks

This means that the load weight on the forks at the front is balanced by a counterweight at the rear. When we talk about a forklift truck, we usually mean a counterbalance truck. Compared with IC engine-powered vehicles, forklifts with lithium-ion batteries are particularly attractive due to their very low operating and maintenance costs.

This allows for quick changing of the cylinder once the LPG runs out. LPG trucks are quieter than their diesel counterparts, while offering similar levels of performance. A forklift (also called lift truck, jitney, hi-lo, fork truck, fork hoist, and forklift truck) is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances. The forklift was developed in the early 20th century by various companies, including Clark, which made transmissions, and Yale & Towne Manufacturing, which made hoists. Since World War II, the use and development of the forklift truck have greatly expanded worldwide. Forklifts have become an indispensable piece of equipment in manufacturing and warehousing.

Towing tractors, electric counterbalanced trucks, engine-powered counterbalanced trucks, racking and automated solutions. We cover your material handling requirements from Rough Terrain, Battery/Electric, Low mast, LPG/Petrol/Diesel forklifts and Telescopic forklifts from 1.5 to 16 tons. Forklift is a small industrial vehicle, having a power operated forked platform attached at the front that can be raised and lowered for insertion under a cargo to lift or move it. Forklifts serve the needs of various industries including warehouses and other large storage facilities. The counterbalance forklift is a popular lift that features forks in the front and a weight in the back to counterbalance the weight of the load. Counterbalance forklifts have no extending arms, giving them the ability to move directly to the load.

Forklift operators can lift up and lower the forks, use side shifters to move loads and tilt the mast so the load doesn’t slide off the forks. It is possible to replace an existing attachment or add one to a lift that does not already have one. Considerations include forklift type, capacity, carriage type, and number of hydraulic functions . As mentioned in the preceding section, replacing or adding an attachment may reduce (down-rate) the safe lifting capacity of the forklift truck . Articulating counterbalance trucks are designed to be both able to offload trailers and place the load in narrow aisle racking. The central pivot of the truck allows loads to be stored in racking at a right angle to the truck, reducing space requirements and eliminating double handling from yard to warehouse.

Fixed Jacks that supports semi-trailer which is not coupled to a tractor, must be installed to avoid overturning of the forklift. Make sure that the height of the vehicle’s entry door clears the height of the forklift by at least 5 cm. Also, make sure that docks as well as dock forklifts plates don’t have any blockades and are completely dry. The forks should be kept pointed down when traveling without a load and kept pointed up while traveling with a load. The significance of this mechanism is that it let the forks go far away from the reach of the cylinders.

While size plays an important role, a forklift’s design allows it to carry an impressive amount of weight. The key elements of a forklift to consider include its lift capacity, load center and stability. Forklifts have varying abilities in each category that must be taken into account when choosing one. There are 20 popular heavy-duty forklift manufacturers on the market. Big names include NACCO Industries and Mitsubishi, and some of the popular models boast an impressive capacity of 36,000 lbs. These are devices that alert forklift drivers of the people in the forklift's vicinity.