Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, frame and boom are normally produced by a forklift maker. Steel is the most popular materials used to make these because they have incredible strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum are utilized as well. 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 usually bought as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Several of the pre-assembled bought products comprise the transmission, seat, engine, axles, wheels, hoses and tires, backup-alarm, lights, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Usually, some materials like the fuel and lubricants and hydraulic fluids are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as required when the machinery is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The narrow and long 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 back of the machinery. The boom portion of the unit is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature that is elevated a few feet above the frame's level. Usually, 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 transmission and the engine are mounted inside the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, various manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market nowadays, there are many different options available. Some models of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to elevate the boom, and other models utilize 2 cylinders. Several models utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to allow the machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for example, when the tires on one side of the forklift are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machine are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are another popular design feature capable of swinging both left and right up to 45 degrees, that increases the precise load positioning.