Raw Materials
The body, cab, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally made by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material utilized for these subassemblies is steel, because of its incredible strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum are used too. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be utilized as guides within the boom assembly. The other parts are normally purchased as finished products and the forklift manufacturer installs them.
Pre-assembled bought products could comprise some of the following: transmission, seat, engine, axles, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Usually, some materials like 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 long and narrow design of the telescoping boom rough terrain forklift is most common, with a set of wheels at the front of the model and another set situated towards the back of the machine. The boom part of the model is mounted at the forklift's back off of a pivot feature which is elevated a few feet above the frame's level. Usually, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Normally, the bottom half of the cab is low and situated 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 inside the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, various manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market nowadays, there are numerous options available. Certain units of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to elevate the boom, and other models utilize 2 cylinders. Several models use 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 machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is utilized for example, 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.
One more common design feature comprises fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to enable accurate load positioning.