Raw Materials
The body, cab, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are usually manufactured by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material for these subassemblies is steel, due to its tremendous strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum are also used. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides within the boom assembly. The other components are typically purchased as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Some of the pre-assembled bought products comprise the transmission, seat, engine, axles, tires, wheels and hoses, lights, back-up alarms, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Normally, some materials like the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the machine is assembled and has passed the meticulous testing sessions.
Design
The narrow and long 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 machinery. The model's boom is mounted at the forklift's back off of a pivot feature that is raised a few feet above the frame's level. Usually, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Typically, the cab's bottom half 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 transmission and the engine are mounted inside the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, different manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market nowadays, there are numerous options available. Some models of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to elevate the boom, and other models use 2 cylinders. Several units use a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to enable the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for instance, when the tires on one side of the forklift are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the equipment are up, located on a mound of dirt.
One more popular design feature comprises fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to enable precise load placement.