Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally made by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material utilized for these subassemblies is steel, because of its incredible strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are used too. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be utilized as guides within the boom assembly. The other parts are normally purchased as finished products and the forklift maker installs them.
Pre-assembled bought products may consist of some of the following: transmission, seat, axles, engine, wheels, hoses and tires, lights, back-up alarms, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Most often, some materials such as the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants 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 narrow and long design that has a set of wheels at the front of the unit and another set situated towards the rear of the equipment. The unit's boom is mounted at the forklift's back off of a pivot feature that is raised a few feet above the level of the frame. Generally, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Usually, the bottom half of the cab is low and located between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the engine and the transmission are mounted within the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, various manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market nowadays, there are numerous options available. Some models of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to elevate the boom, and other models use 2 cylinders. Some models utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to allow the equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. For instance, this is utilized 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 equipment are up, situated 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 enable accurate load positioning.