The introduction of the first ever forklift in the early 20th century revolutionized industrial operations. Developed by Clark, a transmission manufacturing company, and Yale & Towne Manufacturing, forklifts increased the efficiency of industries manifolds. With the rapid upheaval of industries all over the world, forklifts proved to be significantly useful in managing the manufacturing and storage of industrial products. Today, various manufacturers, such as Toyota, KION group, Mitsubishi Nichiyu, Komatsu, and Doosan manufacture forklifts with diverse functionalities. Forklifts are the one of the most sought after equipment in salvage industrial equipment auctions across the US. To help narrow down the option, the blog post discusses five forklift designs. Take a look.
1. Counterbalance Forklift Trucks
Counterbalance forklift trucks have the lifting forks protruding from the machine’s front end. The variant of forklift does not have any outrigging legs or arms, which makes it easy to drive the forklift to the exact racking or load location. The design of the counterbalance forklifts allow offsetting of the lifted load to be balanced by the weight at the rear end of the equipment. Available in electric, diesel or gas powered engine assembly, many of the counterbalance forklifts have a mast tilt facility, driver cabs and side-shifts.
2. Reach Trucks
Primarily used in warehouse operations, reach trucks have maximum load lift height, excellent maneuverability, and ability to reach out beyond the stabilizing legs into the racking. The functionalities enable the trucks to lift loads up to maximum heights even in limited workspaces. The batteries and stabilizing legs within these forklifts eliminate the requirement of an additional counter balance. The tilting cab mechanism of the reach trucks (in certain models only) allow better view for the operator.
3. Hand Pallet/Pump Trucks
Hand pallet trucks are non-powered lifting equipment ideal for moving palletized loads that weigh up to 3,500 kg. The pump trucks are easy to operate and the forks in these trucks are slid into the pallet. The operator pumps a handle to raise the load off the ground and move it to the designated place. Several versions of hand pallet trucks are available such as all terrain, foldable, long forked, wide fork spread, and narrow fork spread.
4. Powered Pallet Trucks
Similar to hand pallet trucks, powered pallet trucks have an integral charger to charge the battery directly from the mains, instead of a stand-alone charger. Unlike the hand pallet trucks, powered pallet trucks have an electric motor assembly within the machine for load lifting operations. Powered pallet trucks work excellently on flat and smooth surfaces, and have easy operability with button assembly to raise or lower the pallet loads, and paddle control for maneuvering the truck in any direction.
5. Order Pickers
Picker trucks enable users to grab and place stock from higher shelves in the warehouse. Most order pickers have a lifting capacity of 1400 kg and feature a wide platform for the users to climb onto while grabbing loads at heights. Additionally, pickers also have bubble-cushioning on the floor of the truck to help soak up vibrations of the machine, especially during extended periods of operation. Certain models of order pickers also feature storage compartments and trays to place amenities such as notepads and water bottles.
Wrapping Up
Forklifts are one of the most common industrial equipment for industrial operations. Finding usage in diverse work environments, forklifts feature extensively in industrial salvage equipment for sale across the US, and also in online auctions for industrial salvage equipment. If you are looking to purchase certified pre-owned industrial equipment, check out our listing of industrial salvage equipment for sale. If you have any questions, give us a call at +1 (360) 347-1300 to learn more any of the vehicles listed with us. You can also write to us at info@salvagebid.com for any additional information.