It could really be simple to neglect the important tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the lift truck. When you pick the wrong tire for your lift truck, you could put large increases on your operating costs, and more importantly increase your safety risks. If on the other hand, you select correct type of tire you could enjoy substantial cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more efficient operation. A properly chosen tire can actually reduce the downtime for replacement and probably last 40 percent longer.
Tires are really somewhat complex components on the machine; hence, it is easy to pick the wrong type accidentally. There are lots of different brands of tires and kinds, with a huge variety of treads and compounds. This means you need to be completely prepared with the correct information when you are purchasing tires so that you can choose some safe and durable options to help prolong the life of your forklift.
The particular kind of tire chosen for a forklift depends on the kind of surface you would be using the machine on. For instance, indoor applications and smooth surfaces generally utilize tires which are made from rubber and that are smaller in size. On the contrary, outdoor operations require pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These characteristics give them a good grip on surfaces which are rough and uneven.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Each and every year, 200 people are killed in lift truck or forklift related accidents each year. Ensuring forklift safety, like for example correct inspection practices, could all contribute in to preventing these dangerous and horrible accidents from taking place.
Pre-Work Inspection
The tires of the forklift needs to be checked prior to each and every shift. Tires must ideally have the right air pressure, that is set by the tire manufacturer. This is very important because if the tire pressure is very low, the machine can accidentally tip over when a load is being raised.
Kinds
The tires utilized on indoor forklifts would be made out of solid rubber.
Other Considerations
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the frequent use of lift trucks. These lift trucks are required to be inspected at the end of each and every shift. The driver must inspect the machine for any mechanical problems and the tires must be checked for excessive wear, cuts or apparent damage to the tires. Any issues which are detected have to be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.