The lift truck has been around ever since the early part of the 1920's. Since its inception, the lift truck has become an indispensable machine for the materials handling industry.
The forklift is also called a forklift and was first used to carry and transport luggage at airports and train stations. Throughout WWII utilizing these machinery exploded and the warehousing industry expanded greatly. The conventional equipment was adapted to handle the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to lift heavier loads and move faster.
The forklift is most commonly utilized for stacking inventory in warehouses. Objects for the most part are packed onto pallets which are made specifically to enable the forks to move under the openings of the pallets. The lift truck can then carry the cargo securely without it falling into the ground or wobbling. When the pallets are in place, they can be transported easily to another location. Lift trucks are also used a lot in the docking, shipping, mining and agricultural industry.
The forklift is also seen on constructions locations, as numerous models have been made to pick up huge heavy boxes and heavy pipes, concrete slabs, other equipment and ceramics. Because it is quite a compact unit, this specific machine is able to move from one location to a different location at a fairly good speed.
The dimensions of the lift truck differ depending on the unit and its particular application. For warehousing applications, there are the narrow aisle truck models. These require the floor to be extremely flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Typically, they are designed with rear wheel steering. There has been a significant increase in these machinery in the mining and manufacturing machinery businesses. Since lift trucks normally deal with flammable supplies, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals, the machines have become more robust and stronger.
Lift trucks have a load capacity varying from 1 to 5 tons. There are heavy-duty units which can handle up to 50 tons. These models are usually used to load shipping equipment onto and off of ships. Forklifts and their required training to operate are specifically regulated to ensure the safety of the individuals utilizing this particular machinery. No body is able to operate them legally without completing the proper training and documents.