It was in the beginning of the 20th Century when the first lift trucks were introduced. These machinery over the past 90 plus years has revolutionized the material handling business and even the recycling business. The considerations for safe utilization, the forklift's evolution and the various different kinds are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
Powered industrial trucks are also referred to as lift trucks and forklifts, were first introduced and invented during the latter part of the 19th Century. These initial units were low lift trucks that can raise platforms only several inches from the ground. Generally, these equipment were used for transporting material within a store, like work-in-progress situations. During the late 1910s, high lift trucks initially emerged and truck design enhancements began to take root from there. The tier trucks eventually developed and this allowed for better storage effectiveness and stacking of loads.
There were extremely difficult economic times during the 1930s. Then again, during this period, labor was freely available but money for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation greatly slowed the growth of lift truck usage.
During WWII, forklifts became a strategic part of the war effort. During that period, vast shortages in manpower happened resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was discovered that its operator and the forklift can deal with the work of many men and were extremely productive. As the War progressed, numerous women operators filled the numerous demands. By the time the war was over, forklifts became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were utilized a lot in the Pacific war efforts. A few of the leftover pallets and forklifts in Australia left behind by the U.S. Military became the basis for the Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool or CHEP, who today is known as the largest pallet pooling business in the globe.
Diesel/Gasoline
There are numerous advantages to utilizing a gas or diesel powered engine. They are readily available around the world; they are great for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and many operators are quite familiar with the source of power.
A few of the main drawbacks of diesel and gasoline models comprise: they require much more maintenance than electric units, due to the emissions they release, they are not suitable for indoor applications, there is some difficulty and cost associated to fluid and oil disposal and they need a re-fueling station on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.