It was in the start of the 20th Century when the very first lift trucks were launched. These equipment over the last 90 plus years has revolutionized the material handling business and even the recycling business. The considerations for safe use, the forklift's evolution and the various different kinds are discussed below.
History of Forklifts
Powered industrial trucks are also known as forklifts and lift trucks, were first launched and created in the late 19th Century. These first models were low lift trucks that could raise platforms only a few inches high. Generally, these types of equipment were used for moving material inside a store, such as work-in-progress situations. During the late 1910s, high lift trucks initially emerged and enhancements in truck design started to take root from there. The tier trucks eventually developed and this allowed for greater stacking of loads and storage efficiency.
There were really tough economic times throughout the 1930s. Nonetheless, in this period, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation really slowed the growth of lift truck usage.
In World War II, forklifts became a strategic part of the war effort. During that period, vast shortages in manpower happened resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was found that a lift truck and its operator were really productive and could deal with the work of many men. As the War continued, lots of women operators filled the many demands. When the war was over, lift trucks became a mainstay of the material handling business. They were used a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Several of the leftover pallets and lift trucks in Australia left behind by the U.S. Military became the basis for the Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool or CHEP, who today is known as the biggest pallet pooling company in the globe.
Gasoline/Diesel
There are numerous advantages to using a diesel or gas powered engine. They are readily available around the world; they are perfect for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and numerous drivers are quite familiar with the source of power.
Several of the diesel and gas engines disadvantages include: they need a lot more maintenance than electric units, because of the emissions they release, they are not suitable to be utilized indoors, there is some difficulty and cost connected to fluid and oil disposal and they require a re-fueling post on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.