Ever since their launch in the material handling business in the 1920s, lift trucks have undergone a huge change. Today, these machines are much smarter and stronger. These kinds of equipment have revolutionized the material handling world and have become exceptional workhorses in our warehouse and distribution centres all over the globe.
The initial lift trucks around 100 years ago, began as very simple pieces of motorized machines that were just capable of moving pallet loads from one place to another. Nowadays, extremely sophisticated units flood the marketplace. These units are offered in a huge range of weight capacities, numerous lifting heights and different designs. Furthermore, these kinds of machinery are offered with a variety of ergonomic designs to enhance operator comfort and numerous new safety features. Keeping the driver as comfy as possible could greatly increase the overall productivity accomplished during a shift.
Among the only remaining universal features that are on the huge range of forklifts available today are the tires which move the equipment and the forks that are used to pick up loads. The basic design and application of different types of forklifts used in manufacturing facilities, distribution centers and warehousing operations is included in this particular article.
Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
Counterbalanced Lift Trucks comprise: IC or Internal Combustion models, as well as Electric Trucks.
Narrow-Aisle Forklifts
Narrow Aisle Forklifts include: Order-Pickers, Turret Trucks and Reach Trucks.
Low Lift Pallet Trucks or Pallet Jacks
Pallets Jacks include Electric-Powered Pallet Trucks as well as Non-Powered Pallet Trucks.
Counterbalanced Forklift Trucks
The most common kind of lift truck is the counterbalanced sit-down kind of the lift truck. A weight situated in the equipment's rear is responsible for counterbalancing the load's weight. The counterbalance is what prevents the forklift the truck from tipping over.
Counterbalanced lift trucks will usually have lifting heights of about 16 feet, or 189 inches. Furthermore, these units are capable of lifting a range between 4,000 to 6,500 pounds. Counterbalanced lift trucks are available with backup alarms and various other types of safety features like for example lights.
Around 60% percent are electric models and about 40% percent are internal combustion units. Each and every type of forklift has a specific place and is ideal to complete many different tasks. Depending on whether or not you will be using the machinery outdoors or indoors and what kind of surfaces and terrain you will be operating on, as well as what particular types of cargo you will be utilizing determines the kind of lift truck which you will choose.