Since their launch in the material handling industry during the 1920s, forklifts have gone through a huge change. Nowadays, these machines are a lot stronger and smarter. They have revolutionized the material handling world and have become exceptional workhorses within our distribution and warehouse facilities all over the world.
The first lift trucks about 100 years ago, started as really simple pieces of motorized equipment which were only capable of transporting pallet loads from one place to another. Nowadays, extremely advanced models flood the marketplace. These units are offered in a huge variety of weight capacities, numerous lifting heights and various designs. In addition, these kinds of machinery come with a variety of ergonomic designs to improve operator comfort and many new safety features. Keeping the driver as comfortable as possible could greatly increase the overall efficiency attained during a shift.
Among the only remaining universal features that are on the wide variety of forklifts available these days are the tires that move the machine and the forks which are used to lift loads. The basic application and design of different types of forklifts used in warehousing operations, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers is included in this specific article.
Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
Counterbalanced Lift Trucks consist of: Internal Combustion or IC units, as well as Electric Trucks.
Narrow-Aisle Forklifts
Narrow Aisle Forklifts consist of: Order-Pickers, Turret Trucks and Reach Trucks.
Low Lift Pallet Jacks or Pallet Trucks
Pallets Jacks comprise Electric-Powered Pallet Trucks and Non-Powered Pallet Trucks.
Counterbalanced Forklift Trucks
The forklift is the most common kind of lift truck. This unit is the sit-down, counterbalanced type. A weight situated in the machine's rear is responsible for counterbalancing the weight of the load. The counterbalance is what prevents the forklift the truck from tipping over.
Counterbalanced forklifts would normally have lifting heights of around 16 feet, or 189 inches. What's more, these models 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 lights.
About 60% percent are electric units and approximately 40% percent are IC units. Every kind of lift truck has a particular place and is ideal to complete lots of various jobs. Depending on whether or not you will be utilizing the machinery outdoors or inside and what kind of surfaces and terrain you would be operating on, as well as what specific types of loads you would be utilizing determines the kind of lift truck that you will select.