Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are normally manufactured by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material utilized for these subassemblies is steel, due to its tremendous strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum are also utilized. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be utilized as guides within the boom assembly. The other components are usually purchased as finished products and the forklift manufacturer installs them.
Several of the pre-assembled bought products include the transmission, seat, axles, engine, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Usually, certain materials like for example the fuel and lubricants and hydraulic fluids are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as needed once the machine 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 located towards the rear of the machine. The model's boom is mounted at the back of the forklift off of a pivot feature which is elevated several feet above the level of the frame. Normally, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Usually, the bottom half of the cab is low and located between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic fuel tank are mounted on the right-hand side, opposite the cab. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the transmission and the engine are mounted in the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, different manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market today, there are numerous options offered. Certain units of forklifts make use of a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other units utilize 2 cylinders. Several 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 utilized for example, when the tires on one side of the lift truck are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, located on a mound of dirt.
One more popular design feature includes fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both right and left, in order to allow accurate load positioning.