Ever since their introduction in the material handling business during the 1920s, forklifts have gone through a huge change. These days, these high tech machines are a lot stronger and smarter. They have revolutionized the material handling arena and have become exceptional workhorses in our warehouse and distribution centres all around the globe.
Initially, during their introduction approximately 100 years ago, lift trucks were very simple pieces of motorized equipment made to move pallet loads from one place to another. Nowadays, really advanced models flood the marketplace. These models are available in a wide range of weight capacities, numerous lifting heights and different designs. Furthermore, these machines are available with various ergonomic designs to improve operator comfort and many new safety features. Keeping the operator as comfortable as possible can really add to the overall productivity accomplished during a shift.
Among the only remaining universal features that are on the wide array of forklifts available today are the tires which move the equipment and the forks that are utilized to pick up loads. The basic design and application of various kinds of forklifts used in manufacturing centers, distribution centers and warehousing applications is included in this article.
Counterbalanced Forklifts
Counterbalanced Forklifts include: Electric forklift models as well as IC or Internal Combustion models.
Narrow-Aisle Lift Trucks
Narrow Aisle Forklifts consist of: Turret Trucks, Reach Trucks and Order-Pickers.
Low Lift Pallet Trucks or Pallet Jacks
Pallets Jacks consist of Electric-Powered Pallet Trucks and Non-Powered Pallet Trucks.
Counterbalanced Forklift Trucks
The lift truck is the most common type of lift truck. This unit is the counterbalanced, sit-down kind. A weight located in the equipment's back is responsible for counterbalancing the load's weight. The counterbalance is what prevents the forklift the truck from tipping over.
Usually, a counterbalanced forklift has a lifting height of roughly 16 feet, 189 inches is the most popular. What's more, these units could lift a range between 4,000 to 6,500 pounds. Counterbalanced forklifts come equipped with backup alarms and different other types of safety features like for instance lights.
Approximately 60% percent are electric units and about 40% percent are internal combustion models. Each and every type of forklift has a particular place and is suited to complete a lot of various jobs. Depending on whether or not you would be using the machine outdoors or indoors and what type of terrain and surfaces you will be operating on, as well as what particular types of loads you would be utilizing determines the kind of lift truck that you would pick.