Forklifts have gone through a major evolution since their introduction to the market during the 1920s. These machines are now much stronger and smarter. These types of machinery have changed the material handling arena and have become irreplaceable workhorses within our warehouse and distribution facilities all over the world.
The initial forklifts roughly 100 years ago, started as really simple pieces of motorized equipment which were just capable of transporting pallet loads from one place to another. These days, really advanced models are offered in the marketplace. These units are available in various weight capacities, various designs and numerous lifting heights. Moreover, these types of vehicles come with a range of ergonomic designs to improve operator comfort and numerous new safety features. Keeping the operator as comfortable as possible could greatly increase the overall efficiency accomplished during a shift.
A key feature placed on the majority of the available lift trucks on the market are tires and forks. Tires enable the machinery to move around and the forks can lift and carry loads. The basic application and design of various kinds of forklifts used in distribution facilities, warehousing applications and manufacturing facilities is covered in this particular article.
Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
Counterbalanced Forklifts comprise: Internal Combustion or IC units, as well as Electric Trucks.
Narrow-Aisle Forklifts
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks include: Order-Pickers, Turret Trucks and Reach Trucks.
Low Lift Pallet Trucks or Pallet Jacks
In this particular class, Electric-Powered Pallet Trucks are included, as are Non-Powered Pallet Trucks.
Counterbalanced Forklift Trucks
The most common type of forklift is the counterbalanced sit-down kind of the lift truck. A weight situated in the equipment's rear is responsible for counterbalancing the weight of the load. The counterbalance is what prevents the forklift the truck from tipping over.
Usually, a counterbalanced lift truck has a lifting height of approximately 16 feet, 189 inches is the most popular. Moreover, these models could lift a range between 4,000 to 6,500 pounds. Counterbalanced lift trucks come equipped with backup alarms and other safety features like for instance lights.
Around 60% percent are electric models and about 40% percent are IC units. Each type of forklift has a particular place and is ideal to complete lots of different jobs. Depending on whether or not you will be using the machine outdoors or indoors and what specific types of cargo you will be using as well as what kind of surfaces and terrain you will be operating on determines the kind of forklift that you would select.