Forklift Components in More Detail
A lift truck is constructed from thousands of components. The main components which make up a forklift truck are the frame of the truck, the engine components, the overhead guard, the wheels and the tilt cylinders. Furthermore, a forklift consists of a range of attachments. All the parts which make up a lift truck are of equal importance because they work together to make the functions of the machinery possible. The subsequent paragraphs describe some of the forklift components in detail.
The Overhead Guard - this guard forms the forklift truck's metal roof. It sits over the cab area and protects the equipment operator whilst he or she is sitting and driving. The overhead guard makes sure that nothing falling from above onto the truck will damage the controls inside the cab or injure the driver. The overhead guard is essential to the frame assembly on various units.
The Mast - the mast is a vertical assembly made of interlocking rails and mounted either to the front axle or the forklift frame. The mast provides lateral stability and enables the forks to move up and downwards. The interlocking rails can either have rollers or bushings as guides. There are a couple of ways the mast could be operated: hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders or chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor.
Lift Truck Carriage - the forks and other attachments are mounted to the carriage. The carriage is connected to the mast directly to the hydraulic cylinder or it is attached by chains. To be able to enable the forks to be lowered and raised, the carriage can have either rollers or bushings to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - While the carriage is raised to full height, there is a back rest made of metal which keeps a load from falling backwards. The back rest is either welded or bolted on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - a range of attachments can be fixed to the front of the lift truck. The most common type of attachment is forks. In addition, there are rotators, rollers, L-shaped members, roll clamps, pole handlers and and all that. These different types of attachments are very handy for moving different types of loads.