Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally manufactured by a lift truck manufacturer. The most common material used for these subassemblies is steel, because of its amazing strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are utilized also. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are typically bought as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Pre-assembled bought products could consist of some of the following: seat, transmission, engine, axles, wheels, hoses and tires, lights, back-up alarms, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Normally, some materials like the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the machinery is assembled and has passed the meticulous 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 unit and another set located towards the rear of the machine. The boom portion of the unit is mounted at the back of the forklift off of a pivot feature that is raised several feet above the frame's level. Generally, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Typically, 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 center-line of the vehicle, the engine and the transmission are mounted inside the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Today, there are many different options existing on the market. Some units of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other models make use of 2 cylinders. Several units use a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to enable the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for example, this is used when the tires on one side of the forklift are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machine are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are another common design feature capable of swinging both left and right up to forty five degrees, that increases the accurate load positioning.