Lift Trucks

Description

Lift trucks are material handling equipment, which are used in industries and in construction sites to carry, transfer, and restack materials from one location to another. Lift trucks are either manually operated or can be power driven. The application of a lift truck depends on the type of loads/materials to be carried, their storage, and their mode of shipment. The lift capacity is dependent on the lift height and the load size and weight. Tires for lift trucks are of either cushion type or pneumatic type. Lift trucks incorporate various attachments to cater to specific requirements. The standard forklift trucks, also called as counterbalanced lift trucks, are used to handle a range of weight capacities and lift heights. The reach lift trucks, mainly designed for racked pallet storage systems, comprise of outriggers in the front, which use a “scissor-mechanism”; the “scissors” picks the load and retracts it back to the outriggers. Order picking lift trucks are manually operated trucks that perform tasks in narrow aisles of less than six feet in width. Motorized pallet lift trucks are very quick and maneuverable.

Types

The major types of industrial lift trucks are listed below:

• Standard fork lift trucks
• Reach lift trucks
• Motorized pallet lift trucks
• Order picking lift tucks
• Swing masts lift trucks

Other types of lift trucks are listed below:

• Manual lift trucks
• Powered lift trucks (electric lift trucks)
• Cushion tire lift trucks
• Pneumatic tire lift trucks
• Specialty lift trucks

Features

Lift trucks have the following features:

• Increases productivity
• High durability
• Easy maintenance
• Reduces operational costs
• Includes safety features like seat belts and dead-man pedals

Applications

Lift trucks are mainly used for industrial as well as commercial purposes. They find their application in material handling, warehousing, manufacturing, and in construction sites.