It was in the beginning of the 20th Century when the very first forklifts were launched. These machines during the last 90 plus years has changed the material handling business and even the recycling industry. The factors for safe utilization, the forklift's evolution and the many different types are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
Powered industrial trucks are also referred to as lift trucks and forklifts, were first introduced and invented in the latter part of the 19th Century. These initial models were low lift trucks that can raise platforms just a few inches high. Generally, these machines were utilized for transporting supplies within a store, like work-in-progress situations. In the late 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and improvements in truck design started to take root from there. The tier trucks ultimately developed and this allowed for greater stacking of loads and storage effectiveness.
In the 1930s, there were some really tough economic times. Then again, throughout this specific time, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation greatly slowed the growth of lift truck usage.
Forklifts became a very strategic part of the World War II war effort since the vast shortages in manpower during that time happened as a resulting of enlistment of thousands of men. It was discovered that its operator and the lift truck can handle the work of many men and were extremely productive. As the War continued, lots of women operators filled the numerous demands. When the war was over, forklifts became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were used a lot in the Pacific war efforts. A few of the leftover pallets and forklifts in Australia left behind by the United States Military became the basis for the Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool or CHEP, who today is referred to as the largest pallet pooling business in the world.
Diesel/Gasoline
Diesel and gasoline engines have a lot of benefits. They are always available all over the world; they deliver consistent power throughout the shift, they are great for heavy duty workloads and lots of drivers are quite familiar with the source of power.
A few of the main disadvantages of diesel and gasoline models include: they need much more maintenance compared to electric units, due to the emissions they release, they are not suitable to be used inside, there is some difficulty and cost connected to fluid and oil disposal and they require a re-fueling post on-site if they are going to be utilized always.