It was during the beginning of the 20th Century when the very first lift trucks were launched. These machines over the past 90 plus years has revolutionized the material handling business and even the recycling business. The factors for safe use, the lift truck's evolution and the various different types are discussed below.
History of Forklifts
Powered industrial trucks are also referred to as forklifts and lift trucks, were originally introduced and invented in the latter part of the 19th Century. These initial models were low lift trucks which can raise platforms only a few inches high. Usually, these machines were used for moving material in a shop, such as work-in-progress situations. In the latter part of 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and improvements in truck design began to take root from there. The tier trucks ultimately developed and this allowed for better stacking of loads and storage efficiency.
There were really tough economic times in the 1930s. Nonetheless, during this specific period, labor was freely available but money for investment was more and more difficult to come by. This situation significantly slowed the growth of lift truck usage.
During the second World War, lift trucks became a strategic part of the war effort. In that era, vast shortages in manpower happened resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was discovered that its operator and the forklift could handle the work of many men and were extremely productive. As the War progressed, numerous women operators filled the numerous demands. When the war was over, lift trucks became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were used a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Several of the leftover pallets and forklifts within Australia left behind by the United States Military became the basis for the CHEP or Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool, who today is known as the world's biggest pallet pooling business.
Gasoline/Diesel
Gasoline and diesel engines have numerous benefits. They are always available around the world; they are perfect for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and numerous drivers are quite familiar with the source of power.
Several of the diesel and gas engines disadvantages consist of: they need much more maintenance compared to electric models, due to the emissions they release, they are not appropriate for indoor applications, there is some difficulty and cost connected to oil and fluid disposal and they require a re-fueling station on-site if they are going to be used always.