Forklift

A forklift or forklift truck is a hauling vehicle having a powered fork-shaped platform in front of the driver’s cabin. This forked platform is movable along the vertical plane. Thus when the ends of the fork are slipped under any object, it can be lifted. The forklift saw its genesis in 1917, through the initiative of a transmission manufacturing company that needed to move heavy automotive components from one location to another.

The main component of a forklift is the mast that performs the actual process of raising, lowering or tilting the fork. Incorporating multiple cylinders and interlocking rails, the mast is usually chain-operated and powered by a hydraulic motor. An assembly of one or more metal plates, the carriage, is pulled along the mast with the chains. The forks are L-shaped with the vertical arm of the L being attached to the carriage. The controls of the forklift resides within the driver’s cabin.

While average forklifts have a lifting capacity of around 5 tons, some of these machines are compatible with weights even as high as 50 tons. Considering the amount of stress the vehicle is subjected to, all forklifts are required to meet international safety standards. The driver’s overhead guard apparatus protects the forklift operator from any falling objects. Normally, the operators undergo rigorous forklift training. For interested customers, both new and used forklifts are available.