Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's body, cab, boom and frame are usually produced by a forklift manufacturer. Steel is the most popular materials used to make these as they have incredible strength. At times aluminum or steel forgings are used 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 parts are usually bought as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Several of the pre-assembled purchased products include the seat, transmission, engine, axles, wheels, hoses and tires, lights, back-up alarms, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Usually, some materials such as the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as needed when the equipment is assembled and has passed the meticulous testing sessions.
Design
The common design that 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 unit and another set situated towards the rear of the machine. The boom part of the model is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature that is elevated several feet above the level of the frame. 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 on the right-hand side, opposite the cab. Along the vehicle's center-line, the transmission and the engine are mounted in the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, different manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market these days, there are numerous options offered. Certain units of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to raise the boom, and other models use 2 cylinders. Some models use 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 enable the machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for example, this is utilized when the tires on one side of the forklift are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are another common design feature capable of swinging both left and right up to forty five degrees, which increases the precise load placement.