Raw Materials
The body, cab, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally manufactured by a lift truck manufacturer. The most common material for these subassemblies is steel, due to its amazing strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are also utilized. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides within the boom assembly. The other parts are usually bought as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Some of the pre-assembled purchased products comprise the seat, transmission, axles, engine, hoses, tires and wheels, lights, back-up alarms, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Usually, certain materials such as 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 equipment. The boom part of the unit is mounted at the back of the forklift off of a pivot feature that is raised several feet above the level of the frame. Generally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Normally, the cab's bottom half is low and situated between the tires. The hydraulic fuel tank and the fuel tank are mounted on the right-hand side, opposite the cab. Along the vehicle's center-line, the engine and the transmission are mounted in the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Nowadays, there are numerous options available on the market. Certain models of forklifts make use of a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other units utilize 2 cylinders. Several units utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to allow the machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for instance, when the tires on one side of the lift truck are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Another popular design feature includes fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to enable precise load placement.