It is recommended to regularly inspect the front end of your forklift as part of your pre-shift or daily examination, in order to help prevent costly forklift repairs. By catching any problems ahead of time or as they occur, you can also help avoid damage to any type of cargo too. The following includes several of the common guidelines on what specific things to check during frequent inspections of your material handling fleet.
Forks
Regularly checking the forks is important because if these are worn out or cracked, they might fail without warning. Any type of fork damage means that your forklift must instantly be removed from service until it is fixed and safe once again. Visually check your forks for any visible indications of damage or wear. If the cracks run deeper than on the surface, replace them. Any wear on the forks beyond 10 percent is another sign that you should replace the forks.
Mast
Ideally, the mast should tilt forward and back and be able to smoothly move up and down. If you find that the sliding surfaces are binding, you may have to grease the mast strip sliding surfaces as well as their fittings. On the inner mast there is a fitting situated on each side. The lift bracket side rollers are a different lubrication point and there is also one on each side roller. When the lubricating has been completed, tilt it backward and forward and also raise and lower the mast a few times in order to ensure that the lubricant is worked correctly into the fittings.
Tilt Cylinders
Uncontrolled mast movement can be caused by oil leakage; therefore, your inspection must involve checking for damage and for oil leaks. Whether the leaks are external or are situated inside of the cylinder, the end result can be cylinder drift and loss of fluid. If there are any indications of damage or leaks, you may have to replace just the seals or the whole cylinder assembly.
Chains
The mast chains need to be inspected to see if they are being stretched beyond their acceptable limits. Additionally, inspect the chain wear guage or check the chains for signs of damage. If wear is present beyond 2 percent, replace the chain. Also replace it if the chain appears kinked or rusted. The sheave bearings and the chain rollers must also be checked for signs of wear.
The mast lift chain would usually wear at the pin-to-link connections. You can experience chain failure if you notice wear. This can end up damaging front end components or even the product. If you do not have time on hand to carry out regular fleet inspections or if you need help determining what exactly to check on your lift trucks, simply call your local forklift dealer. Their trained service technicians will help your perform PM or planned maintenance checks based on your application requirements and scheduling.