There is a range of different mechanisms which raise or lower lifts on a lift truck: rack and pinion lifts, scissor lifts, telescoping lifts, screw lifts and articulated lifts. Scissor lifts employ crisscrossed folding supports and a screw system used to draw the members together. Rack and pinion lifts utilize a pinion, that is a small drive gear, to drive a straight-toothed rack to raise the load. The telescoping lift system is designed with many parts that retract and extend out of and into each other to achieve lifting action. Screw lifts utilize threads to raise the lift. Articulated lifts use a mechanism which involves many sections that unfold or articulate. An example of an articulated lift is the "cherry picker."
Lift truck Material Handling
There are lots of reasons to keep up with innovations in material handling processes. Material handling methods and the tools can be used to handle increased geographical coverage, more SKUs, and the requirement to lower inventories. Tools that are well ahead of the technological curve could help maximize efficiency and increase profitability.
Forklift Battery & Charging Technology
The latest innovations on electric forklifts have yielded longer run-times and higher capacities than ever before, that makes the decision to convert from the conventional IC forklift over to the improved electric units. Charger and battery combinations are providing more power for longer periods than older systems could achieve. Improvements in battery and charger technologies are not only making electric forklifts more productive but they are making it possible to have more environmentally friendly warehouse operations.
These new batteries are known as Li-ion batteries or Lithium-Ion batteries. This technology is still quite new, but Li-ion batteries show incredible promise. They are not just smaller but are capable of holding up to six times the charge of conventional lead acid batteries. Li-ion batteries have really low maintenance requirements and could maximize opportunity charging through zero memory technology.