Raw Materials
The body, cab, frame and boom of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are normally manufactured by a forklift manufacturer. The most popular material used for these subassemblies is steel, because of its tremendous strength. At times steel forgings or aluminum 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 bought as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Pre-assembled bought products can include some of the following: transmission, seat, axles, engine, wheels, hoses and tires, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Normally, some materials like for example 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 model and another set situated towards the rear of the machine. The boom portion of the model is mounted at the back of the forklift off of a pivot feature that is raised a few feet above the frame's level. Generally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Typically, the bottom half of the cab is low and situated 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 transmission and the engine are mounted inside the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, different manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market today, there are many different options offered. Certain models of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other models make use of 2 cylinders. Some units make use of a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to allow the machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is utilized for instance, when the tires on one side of the lift truck are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machine are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Another popular design feature comprises fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to allow accurate load placement.