Raw Materials
The cab, body, frame and boom of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally made by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material for these subassemblies is steel, because of its amazing strength. At times steel forgings or aluminum are also used. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other parts are typically bought as finished products and the lift truck manufacturer installs them.
Pre-assembled bought products can comprise several of the following: transmission, seat, axles, engine, wheels, hoses and tires, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Normally, some materials like the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are purchased 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 typical of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a narrow and long design which has a set of wheels at the front of the unit and another set situated towards the rear of the machinery. The boom portion of the unit is mounted at the rear of the forklift off of a pivot feature which is elevated several feet above the frame's level. Normally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Typically, the cab's bottom half is low and situated between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic fuel tank are mounted on the right-hand side, opposite the cab. Along the vehicle's center-line, the transmission and the engine are mounted inside the frame.
Different manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Nowadays, there are many different options existing on the market. Certain units of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to elevate the boom, and other units utilize 2 cylinders. Several units utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular 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. 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 equipment are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are one more common design feature capable of swinging both right and left up to forty five degrees, that improves the precise load placement.