Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, boom and frame are generally made by a forklift manufacturer. Steel is the most common materials utilized to make these because they have tremendous strength. At times aluminum or steel forgings are utilized too. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are normally purchased as finished products and the lift truck manufacturer installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products may comprise some of the following: transmission, seat, axles, engine, tires, wheels and hoses, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Normally, certain materials such as the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as needed when the equipment is assembled and has passed the rigorous 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 model and another set situated towards the back of the machine. The boom portion of the model is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature which is elevated several 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 hydraulic fuel tank and the fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the engine and the transmission are mounted in the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. These days, there are numerous options offered on the market. Some models of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other units use 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 so as to allow the equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for example, this is used when the tires on one side of the forklift are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
Another popular design feature includes fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to enable precise load placement.