Raw Materials
The body, cab, frame and boom of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are usually manufactured by a forklift manufacturer. The most common material used for these subassemblies is steel, because of its incredible strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are also used. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are normally purchased as finished products and the forklift maker installs them.
Pre-assembled bought products may include some of the following: transmission, seat, engine, axles, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Normally, some materials such as the fuel and lubricants and hydraulic fluids are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as required once 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 model and another set situated towards the back of the machine. The unit's boom 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. Normally, the bottom half of the cab is low and situated between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the vehicle's center-line, 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. Certain units of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other units make use of 2 cylinders. Several models make use of a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to enable the equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for example, when the tires on one side of the forklift are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, located on a mound of dirt.
One more popular design feature includes fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to enable precise load positioning.