Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, boom and frame are normally made by a forklift manufacturer. Steel is the most popular materials used to make these because they have tremendous strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are also utilized. It is common for non-metallic materials like for instance nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other parts are normally bought as finished products and the forklift manufacturer installs them.
Several of the pre-assembled bought products include the transmission, seat, engine, axles, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Usually, some materials like for example the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as required when the equipment is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The common design that is most typical of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a long and narrow design which has a set of wheels at the front of the model and another set located towards the back 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 level of the frame. Normally, 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 fuel tank and the hydraulic fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the transmission and the engine are mounted in the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, various manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market now, there are many different options offered. Some models of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other models make use of 2 cylinders. Some models utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to enable the machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. For example, this is used when the tires on one side of the forklift are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
Another common design feature includes fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both right and left, in order to allow precise load placement.