Forklift Truck Classification
For less than a century, the forklift truck has been working its magic. Even now, this particular piece of machine is found in every warehouse operation all over the world.
Because of World War I, there were shortages of manpower which ed to the construction of the first forklifts. Businesses such as Clark and Yale & Town introduced the material handling machine which used powered lift tractors in their plants. During the year 1918, Clark saw the potential for these machines and started selling them.
From a simple tractor with an attachment, the forklift design changed during the 1920s, to a dedicated machine equipped with a vertical lifting mast. The forklift developed and became more advanced with WWII. The forklift played an important part during this time in the handling of supplies for various armies all over the globe. It was also at this time that wooden pallets were introduced that solidified the need for the forklift within the material handling industry.
Lift trucks gained momentum and continued to develop as soon as WWII ended. During the 1950s, forklifts that utilize batteries made an appearance. There were other more specialized forklift models introduced such as the Narrow Aisle Reach truck. This particular kind was made by the Raymond Corporation. During the 1960s and 1970s, improvements were made in the electronic controls area. This made forklifts a lot more versatile and companies were able to look at warehouse efficiency.
There are various options you can utilize to power a forklift nowadays. These include electric battery, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG, gasoline, liquid propane gas or LPG. The first hybrid forklift was developed by Mitsubishi. It currently operates on diesel battery and lithium ion. This kind consumes 39% less fuel than existing models. Statistics show that its carbon dioxide emissions are about 14.6 tons less than those kinds of forklifts that are powered by IC or internal combustion engines.