Ever since their launch in the material handling industry in the 1920s, forklifts have gone through a huge change. Nowadays, these machines are a lot stronger and smarter. They have revolutionized the material handling arena and have become irreplaceable workhorses in our warehouse and distribution facilities all around the globe.
The initial forklifts roughly 100 years ago, began as really simple pieces of motorized machines which were just capable of transporting pallet loads from one place to another. Nowadays, very sophisticated units are available in the marketplace. These models are offered in a wide range of weight capacities, many lifting heights and various designs. Furthermore, these kinds of machinery are available with different ergonomic designs to enhance driver comfort and numerous new safety features. Keeping the driver as comfortable as possible could greatly add to the overall efficiency accomplished during a shift.
Among the only remaining universal features that are on the huge variety of lift trucks available today are the tires which move the machinery and the forks which are utilized to pick up loads. The basic application and design of various kinds of lift trucks utilized in distribution centers, warehousing operations and manufacturing centers is included in this article.
Counterbalanced Forklifts
Counterbalanced Lift Trucks include: Electric lift truck models and Internal Combustion or IC units.
Narrow-Aisle Forklifts
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks comprise: Order-Pickers, Turret Trucks and Reach Trucks.
Low Lift Pallet Trucks or Pallet Jacks
In this class, Electric-Powered Pallet Trucks are included, as are Non-Powered Pallet Trucks.
Counterbalanced Forklift Trucks
The lift truck is the most common kind of lift truck. This model is the counterbalanced, sit-down kind. A weight located in the machine's back is responsible for counterbalancing the weight of the load. 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. As well, these units can lift a range between 4,000 to 6,500 pounds. Counterbalanced lift trucks are available with backup alarms and other safety features like lights.
About 60% percent are electric units and around 40% percent are IC units. Each type of lift truck has a particular place and is best to complete lots of various tasks. Depending on whether or not you will be utilizing the equipment outside or indoors and what kind of terrain and surfaces you will be operating on, as well as what particular kinds of cargo you would be utilizing determines the kind of lift truck which you will select.