Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are normally manufactured by a forklift manufacturer. The most common material utilized for these subassemblies is steel, because of its amazing strength. At times aluminum or steel forgings are also utilized. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be utilized as guides within the boom assembly. The other parts are normally purchased as finished products and the lift truck manufacturer installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products could include several of the following: transmission, seat, engine, axles, wheels, hoses and tires, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Usually, some materials such as the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as needed when the equipment 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 back of the equipment. The boom portion of the unit is mounted at the back of the forklift off of a pivot feature which is elevated a few feet above the frame's level. Usually, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Usually, the bottom half of the cab is low and situated 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 inside the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, various manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market today, there are numerous options available. Certain models of forklifts make use of a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to elevate the boom, and other units use 2 cylinders. Some models utilize 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 used for example, when the tires on one side of the forklift are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are one more popular design feature capable of swinging both right and left up to forty five degrees, which improves the accurate load positioning.