Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, boom and frame are generally produced by a forklift manufacturer. Steel is the most popular materials utilized to make these as they have incredible strength. At times aluminum or steel forgings are also utilized. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are normally purchased as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products can consist of several of the following: seat, transmission, axles, engine, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Usually, certain materials like for instance the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as needed once the machinery 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 unit and another set located towards the back of the machine. The boom portion of the unit is mounted at the back of the forklift off of a pivot feature that is raised a few feet above the frame's level. Normally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Typically, the bottom half of the cab is low and situated between the tires. The hydraulic fuel tank and the 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.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Now, there are many different options existing on the market. Some models of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to raise the boom, and other models make use of 2 cylinders. Some models utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to allow the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. For instance, this is used 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 machine are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are another common design feature capable of swinging both left and right up to 45 degrees, that improves the precise load positioning.