Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, boom and frame are usually made by a forklift maker. Steel is the most common materials utilized to make these because they have amazing strength. At times steel forgings or aluminum are utilized as well. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are normally bought as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products could consist of some of the following: transmission, seat, axles, engine, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Usually, certain materials such as the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the machine is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The common design which is most standard of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a long and narrow design that has a set of wheels at the front of the model and another set situated towards the rear of the machinery. The boom portion of the unit is mounted at the rear of the forklift off of a pivot feature that is raised several feet above the frame's level. Generally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Normally, the cab's bottom half is low and situated 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 inside the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Nowadays, there are numerous options available on the market. Some models of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other models use 2 cylinders. Some units use a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to allow the machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for instance, this is utilized when the tires on one side of the lift truck are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the equipment are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
Another common design feature includes fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both right and left, in order to allow precise load placement.