Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, frame and boom are normally produced by a forklift maker. Steel is the most popular materials used to make these as they have tremendous strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum are used as well. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be utilized as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are typically purchased as finished products and the forklift manufacturer installs them.
Several of the pre-assembled bought products include the transmission, seat, axles, engine, tires, wheels and hoses, lights, back-up alarms, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Usually, certain materials such as the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as needed once the machine is assembled and has passed the meticulous testing sessions.
Design
The narrow and long design of the telescoping boom rough terrain forklift is most common, with a set of wheels at the front of the unit and another set located towards the back of the equipment. The boom part of the unit is mounted at the forklift's back off of a pivot feature that is raised a few feet above the level of the frame. Normally, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. 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 vehicle's center-line, the transmission and the engine are mounted within the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. These days, there are numerous options available on the market. Certain models of forklifts make use of a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other units utilize 2 cylinders. Several units make use of a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to allow the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for instance, this is used 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 equipment are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are another common design feature capable of swinging both right and left up to 45 degrees, which increases the accurate load positioning.