Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are usually made by a forklift manufacturer. The most popular material for these subassemblies is steel, due to its amazing strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum 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 parts are usually purchased as finished products and the forklift manufacturer installs them.
Pre-assembled bought products could consist of some of the following: transmission, seat, axles, engine, tires, wheels and hoses, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Most often, some materials like the fuel and lubricants and hydraulic fluids are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as needed once the equipment is assembled and has passed the meticulous testing sessions.
Design
The common design which is most typical 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 located towards the rear of the machinery. The boom part of the unit is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature which is elevated several feet above the frame's level. Normally, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Normally, the cab's bottom half is low and located between the tires. The hydraulic fuel tank and the fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the vehicle's center-line, the transmission and the engine are mounted inside the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, different manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market now, there are many different options offered. Some units of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other units utilize 2 cylinders. Several models make use of a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to enable the equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. For example, 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.
One more common design feature includes fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both right and left, in order to allow precise load positioning.