Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's body, cab, boom and frame are usually made by a forklift maker. Steel is the most popular materials utilized to make these since they have amazing strength. At times steel forgings or aluminum are utilized also. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are normally bought as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Pre-assembled bought products could consist of several of the following: transmission, seat, engine, axles, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Usually, some materials such as the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the equipment is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The common design which is most standard of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a narrow and long design which has a set of wheels at the front of the unit and another set situated towards the rear of the equipment. The boom part of the model is mounted at the forklift's back off of a pivot feature that is raised several feet above the frame's level. Normally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Usually, the bottom half of the cab is low and located between the tires. The hydraulic fuel tank and the fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the vehicle's center-line, the engine and the transmission are mounted within the frame.
Different manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Now, there are numerous options offered on the market. Certain models of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other units utilize 2 cylinders. Several models use a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to enable the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for instance, when the tires on one side of the forklift are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, located on a mound of dirt.
One more common design feature includes fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to allow accurate load positioning.