Raw Materials
The body, cab, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally made by a lift truck manufacturer. The most common material utilized for these subassemblies is steel, because of its amazing strength. At times steel forgings or aluminum are used too. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are usually purchased as finished products and the lift truck manufacturer installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products can comprise some of the following: seat, transmission, axles, engine, wheels, hoses and tires, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Most often, certain materials like for example the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as required when the machine is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The common design which is most typical of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a long and narrow design which has a set of wheels at the front of the model and another set located towards the rear of the machinery. The unit's boom is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature which is raised a few feet above the frame's level. Normally, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Normally, the cab's bottom half is low and situated between the tires. The hydraulic fuel tank and the 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.
Different manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Now, there are many different options offered on the market. Some units of forklifts make use of a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to raise the boom, and other units use 2 cylinders. Several models utilize 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 allow the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for example, when the tires on one side of the forklift are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the equipment are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
One more popular design feature comprises fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both right and left, in order to allow accurate load positioning.