Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally made by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material utilized for these subassemblies is steel, due to its amazing strength. At times aluminum or steel forgings 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 normally bought as finished products and the lift truck manufacturer installs them.
Pre-assembled bought products could include some of the following: transmission, seat, engine, axles, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Usually, certain materials like for example the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as required when the machinery is assembled and has passed the meticulous 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 unit and another set situated towards the back of the machinery. The boom portion of the unit is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature which is elevated several feet above the frame's level. Generally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Usually, the bottom half of the cab is low and situated between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic fuel tank are mounted on the right-hand side, opposite the cab. Along the vehicle's center-line, the engine and the transmission are mounted in the frame.
Different manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Nowadays, 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 make use of 2 cylinders. Some models make use of a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to enable the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for instance, this is utilized when the tires on one side of the forklift are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the equipment are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
One more common design feature includes fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to allow precise load positioning.