Raw Materials
The cab, body, frame and boom of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are normally made by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material for these subassemblies is steel, due to its amazing strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum are also used. 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 maker installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products may comprise several of the following: transmission, seat, engine, axles, tires, wheels and hoses, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Normally, certain materials such as the fuel and lubricants and hydraulic fluids are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the equipment is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The common design that is most standard 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 located towards the back of the equipment. The model's boom is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature that is raised several feet above the level of the frame. Normally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Normally, the bottom half of the cab is low and located between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic 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 in the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. These days, there are numerous options available on the market. Some units of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to elevate the boom, and other models utilize 2 cylinders. Some units utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to enable the equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. For example, 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 machine 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, that increases the accurate load placement.