Raw Materials
The cab, body, frame and boom of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are normally made by a forklift manufacturer. The most common material for these subassemblies is steel, due to its incredible strength. At times steel forgings or aluminum are utilized also. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other parts are normally purchased as finished products and the forklift manufacturer installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products can include some of the following: transmission, seat, engine, axles, tires, wheels and hoses, lights, back-up alarms, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Most often, certain materials such as the fuel and lubricants and hydraulic fluids are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as needed when the machine is assembled and has passed the rigorous 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 situated towards the rear of the equipment. The boom part of the model is mounted at the forklift's rear 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 bottom half of the cab is low and located between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the engine and the transmission are mounted within the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. These days, there are many different options available on the market. Certain models of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other units use 2 cylinders. Several units make use of a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to enable the machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. For example, this is utilized when the tires on one side of the forklift are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the equipment are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are another popular design feature capable of swinging both right and left up to forty five degrees, which improves the accurate load positioning.