Forklift Attachments San Bernardino - Forklift attachments make a variety of jobs possible. Forklift attachments make many jobs safer, easier and quicker to complete. Forklift operators require training for each attachment they will be using as well as their general forklift training.
There are many non-hydraulic attachments and hydraulic attachments available for forklift attachments. They provide many benefits including decreasing fuel consumption, time, man-power, damage to stock and employee accidents.
Equipment Considerations
Forklift attachments can be switched out to replace existing attachments or may be used on machines that don’t currently have one. Several equipment-related factors must be considered before any forklift attachment is replaced or added. These considerations include:
1. The forklift type;
2. The forklift’s capacity;
3. The carriage type; and
4. The number of hydraulic functions.
Failing to take these aforementioned factors into consideration can create extra safety hazards and risks for the operator, the forklift, its’ attachments and the stock. There are further safety issues to take into consideration which can be discussed in more detail below.
Forklift Rating and Re-Rating
These machines are provided with lift capacity ratings from the manufacturer that need adjusting when changing or adding any forklift attachments. Manufacturers of forklift attachments usually offer calculators available online to estimate the safe lifting capacity when using a particular attachment. Accurate lifting capacities are only available from the forklift manufacturers.
Before installing any kind of attachment, it is essential to contact the local authorized forklift dealer of the particular forklift brand to request that they rate the machine accordingly with the attachment being used. There will be a new specification plate that is factory authorized once the forklift manufacturer has re-rated the machine. This new specification plate will replace the original plate and should be installed showing the new rating for the forklift.
Equipment Upgrades
It is vital to note when working with forklift attachments the equipment’s hydraulic function consists of a forklift valve that has a lever located near the operator which creates two areas for pressurized hydraulic passages for oil. While not all forklift attachments are hydraulic, hydraulic attachments often include more features than the forklift has valves. When this happens, the forklift needs to have one or more valves added. There are numerous ways a valve can be added. The manufacturers of forklifts create accessories to simplify hose and valve routing. However, the parts and labor to install these can be so expensive as to make this option impractical. Another possibility is to install a cable reel, solenoid valve and hose to divert oil from an alternate location. The main issue is that the cable reels and hose may block the view of the operator and these items can be damaged. There are kits available that use a solenoid valve and specialty hoses that allow for the reinforced braid to double as an electrical conduit. Since these hoses replace existing forklift hoses, they remain safe from external damage while maintaining clear vision for the operator.
Safety Considerations
Before using any type of forklift attachment, adequate training must be fulfilled. The operator needs to be able to remove, fit and operate the attachment.
Before using any forklift attachment, two safety issues need consideration.
Firstly, it is important to note that any kind of forklift attachment will reduce the machine’s nominal load rating. The nominal load rating is computed with a stock fork carriage and forks. However, the actual load rating may be substantially lower.
Second, the center of gravity will be affected by the use of any forklift attachment. Obviously, the stability of the forklift is reduced. Because the weight of the attachment will be placed in front of the forklift’s fulcrum point, it is necessary to drive the forklift as though it is partially loaded, even prior to picking up a load. It is essential that operators travel slowly and make gentle turns when using any kind of forklift attachment. Check the forklift’s capacity to ensure that every attachment is listed on the data plate.
Certain safety checks need to be done before using any kind of attachment. The forklift attachment must be permitted on the forklift’s data plate, locked properly, correctly attached, appropriate for the particular load and appropriate for the type of forklift being used.
List of Common Forklift Attachments
Discover a list of common forklift attachments and how they are utilized below. This is just a sample list of some of the most popular forklift attachments. Forklift attachments are designed to increase job efficiency for many applications.
SIDESHIFTER:
Allows the operator to move the forks laterally, allowing for easier placement of a load without the need to reposition the entire forklift.
FORK POSITIONERS:
Moves the forks together or apart in relation to one another to adjust for various load types.
DIMENSIONING DEVICES:
Dimensioning devices offer cargo dimensions to create more warehouse efficiency and better truck and trailer space. This is commonly used with billing systems that record volume.
ROTATOR:
Rotators help to right tilted skids and are useful for fast unloading and tackling custom load requirements. Numerous attachments have a rotator feature.
ROLL AND BARREL CLAMP:
The roll and barrel clamp allows the forklift to grasp rounded loads including barrels. It is outfitted with different pressure settings to facilitate fragile options and often has a rotate function to simplify horizontal and vertical positioning.
CARTON AND MULTIPURPOSE CLAMP:
The carton and multipurpose clamp has pressure settings and is used for handling more squared shaped loads. It easily masters boxes, bales and cartons.
POLE ATTACHMENTS:
Pole attachments are long metal poles in place of the forks. They are useful for picking up linoleum and rolled up carpet or similar items.
SLIP SHEETER OR PUSH-PULL:
Allows operator to transport slip sheets by clamping onto slip sheets, as opposed to pallets, and either pulling the slip sheet onto wide and thin metal forks for loading or pushing the slip sheet to unload. Some variations of the attachment are Save, where the slip sheet is removed for reuse, or Standard.
DRUM HANDLER:
Allows for grasping drums, either with a spring-loaded jaw to grip the top lip of a drum, or with arms that encircle the drum, for transport.
DRUM AND STORAGE BIN TIPPER:
Allows for quick transfer of loose or liquid contents in large containers.
MAN BASKET:
The man basket is a lift platform to allow workers to complete jobs with brackets and railings and safety harnesses.
TELESCOPIC FORKS:
Telescopic forks are used in warehouses that rely on stacking two pallets in the event one shelf is located behind another shelf with no aisle in between.
SCALES:
Enables operators to simultaneously weigh and transport pallets, eliminating the need to interrupt transport to travel to scales, and can be obtained in legal-for-trade weights for operations that bill by weight.
SINGLE-DOUBLE FORKS:
Single-double forks facilitate movement of a single platform or pallet or two side-by-side pallets. This is useful for transporting specialty items with the right attachments employed. It can be used with normal lifting tasks and stops the need for owning two separate machines. This greatly reduces the cost of maintenance and operation that is used with multiple forklifts.
SNOW PLOW:
Snow plows are used to remove snow and redistribute it; however, this attachment can be used with other loose kinds of material.
SKIPS:
Skips enable quick and safe waste removal to a skip or waste compactor. They may feature a bottom-emptying design or be a roll-forward model.
BOOMS AND JIBS:
Jibs and boom offer extended forklift reach for transporting loads that are stacked deep or high or that are suspended. There are reach-over, low profile, precision lifting and extendable length options.
Forklift Attachment PDF
