Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, frame and boom are normally produced by a forklift manufacturer. Steel is the most popular materials used to make these because they have tremendous strength. At times aluminum or steel forgings are also used. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be utilized as guides within the boom assembly. The other components are normally bought as finished products and the forklift manufacturer installs them.
Several of the pre-assembled bought products include the seat, transmission, axles, engine, tires, wheels and hoses, lights, back-up alarms, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Most often, some materials like for instance the fuel and lubricants and hydraulic fluids are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as required when the equipment 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 rear of the equipment. The boom part of the model is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature which is elevated a few feet above the frame's level. Usually, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Typically, the bottom half of the cab is low and located 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.
Beyond this basic configuration, various manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market nowadays, there are many different options offered. Certain models of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other units 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 so as to enable the equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for example, 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 machinery are up, located 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 accurate load placement.