Raw Materials
The body, cab, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally manufactured by a forklift manufacturer. The most common material used for these subassemblies is steel, because of its incredible strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum are also used. It is common for non-metallic materials such as 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.
Some of the pre-assembled purchased products consist of the transmission, seat, axles, engine, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Normally, some materials like for instance the fuel and lubricants and hydraulic fluids are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the machinery 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 situated towards the back of the machine. The unit's boom is mounted at the rear of the forklift off of a pivot feature which is raised a few feet above the frame's level. Usually, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Typically, the cab's bottom half 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 vehicle's center-line, the transmission and the engine are mounted inside the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Today, there are numerous options offered on the market. Some units of forklifts make use of a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other units utilize 2 cylinders. Some 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 in order to allow the equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for instance, this is utilized 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 popular design feature capable of swinging both left and right up to forty five degrees, that increases the precise load positioning.