A forklift has different parts that are meant for various uses. The components must be present if at all the forklift has to do all the operations. Find out helpful information of the components below:
1. The truck frame- this is the base of the machine which has the axles, mast, wheels, over guard, counterweight and power source which are attached to it. The truck frame may have hydraulic fluid and fuel tanks as part of it.
2. Cab- this is the area that has a seat for the person who is operating and it also has the control pedals, levers, steering wheel, switches and also a dashboard which contains the readouts from the operator. This area may be open or closed though it is covered by a cage like overhead guard assembly. In case it is enclosed, it can be equipped with a cab heater for the cold climate places and it can also have an air conditioner in case of hot weather.
3. The counter weight which is a mass that is attached to the rear of the forklift truck frame. It main purpose is to counter balance the load being lifted. Incase it's an electric one the large lead acid battery may serve as the counterweight and all the operations will be done to completion.
4. Power source- many of the counterbalanced forklifts consists of an internal combustion engine which can be powered by LP gas, CNG, diesel fuel or gasoline. The gas forklifts are the best since they help in proper operation of the truck.Batteries or fuel cells are used to power electric forklifts whereby they provide power to the electric motors. These electric motors used can either be alternating current or direct current; hence this depends with the forklift.
5. Attachments- this refers to mechanism that is attached to the carriage, they are either permanent or temporarily and are mainly used to help in proper engagement of the load. Different attachments materials are available, these includes slip sheet, carton clamps, side shifters, fork positioners, pole handles, roll clamps, rotators, container handlers and multipurpose clamps.
6. Carriage component-this is where the forks or other attachments are mounted. It moves up and down the mast rails through the use of chains or it can be directly attached to the hydraulic cylinder. It can have rollers or bushings to guide in when locking the mast rails.
7. Mast component- this is the vertical assembly that does the work of raising and lowering the load (learn more here). It is stable since it is made up of interlocking rails that helps in providing lateral stability. This component is driven hydraulically and can be operated by one or more hydraulic cylinders directly or through the use of chains from the cylinder. The container mast allows the forks to raise a few axles or the frame of the fork lift. This is mostly used when doubling the loading pallets into a container.
8. Load back rest - this is a rack like extension that is either bolted or welded to the carriage for preventing the load from shifting backward when the carriage is lifted to the full height.
9. Tilt cylinders which are hydraulic cylinders mounted to the truck frame and the mast. The pivot in the cylinders moves backwards and forward to help in load engagement.
