The forklift has been around since the early part of the 1920's. This type of machine was created during the 1920s and ever since its creation, has become among the most of the indispensable pieces of manufacturing and warehousing equipment within the globe.
Sometimes referred to as lift trucks, amongst their initial uses was lifting and moving luggage at airports and train stations. During the Second World War the use of these equipment exploded and the warehousing industry expanded significantly. The traditional machine was adapted to handle the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to move faster and lift heavier loads.
The lift truck is most commonly used for stacking inventory within warehouses. Objects for the most part are packed onto pallets that are made specifically to enable the forks to move beneath the openings of the pallets. The lift truck can then securely lift the goods without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. When the pallets are in place, they could be easily transported to a different place. Forklifts are also used much within the docking, shipping, mining and agricultural industry.
The forklift is also seen on constructions sites, since numerous models have been made to pick up large heavy boxes and concrete slabs, heavy pipes, other equipment and ceramics. Because it is fairly a compact unit, this particular machine can move from one place to another at a moderately good speed.
The dimensions of the lift truck differ depending on the model and its specific use. For warehousing applications, there are the narrow aisle truck units. These are quite a bit smaller in size and need the floor to be really flat. Typically, they are designed with rear wheel steering. There has been a dramatic increase in these equipment in the mining and manufacturing equipment industries. Since lift trucks usually handle flammable materials, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals, the machines have become more durable and tougher.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Several heavy duty models have been designed to deal with as many as 50 tons. These units are normally utilized to load shipping equipment off of and into ships. Lift trucks and their required training to operate are particularly regulated to ensure the safety of the people utilizing this particular equipment. No one is able to operate them legally without finishing the proper documents and training.