Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's body, cab, frame and boom are generally produced by a forklift manufacturer. Steel is the most popular materials used to make these because they have amazing strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum are also used. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be utilized as guides in the boom assembly. The other parts are normally bought as finished products and the forklift maker installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products may consist of several of the following: transmission, seat, engine, axles, hoses, tires and wheels, lights, back-up alarms, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Most often, certain materials such as the fuel and lubricants and hydraulic fluids are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as needed when the machine is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The long and narrow design of the telescoping boom rough terrain forklift is most common, with a set of wheels at the front of the model and another set located towards the rear of the machinery. The model's boom is mounted at the rear of the forklift off of a pivot feature which is raised a few feet above the level of the frame. Usually, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. 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 many different options offered on the market. Some units of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other models utilize 2 cylinders. Some models make use of 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 utilized for example, when the tires on one side of the lift truck are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the equipment are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Another popular design feature comprises fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to enable accurate load placement.