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Sometimes called a forklift truck, the
forklift is
a powerful industrial truck that is used to lift
and transport material by steel forks that are
inserted under the load. They are commonly
used to move loads and equipment that have been stored on
pallets and was developed in 1920, and
has since become a valuable piece of equipment in
many manufacturing and warehousing operations.
The most common type of design is
the counter balance & other types of designs
include the reach truck and side loader, both of
which are used in environments where the space is
at a minimum. They are also many types and different
load capacities & in the average warehouse setting
most will have load capacities of around
five tons.
Along with the control to raise and lower the
forks, you can also tilt the mast to compensate
for the tendency of the load to angle the blades
towards the ground and risk slipping it off the forks.
There are some variations that allow you to move
the forks and backrest laterally, which allows
easier placement of a load. In addition to this,
there are some machines that offer hydraulic
control to move the forks together or further
apart, which removes the need for you to get out
of the cab to manually adjust for a different size
load.
Forklift trucks are rated for loads at a specified
maximum weight and a specified forward type center of gravity & one of the most important aspects of operation
is the rear wheel steering.
Another critical aspect of operation is the
instability Both the forklift and the load must
be considered a unit, with a varying center of gravity with every movement
of the load. |
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