It is recommended to often check the front end of your forklift as part of your daily or pre-shift inspection, in order to help prevent expensive lift truck repairs. By catching any problems as they arise or in advance, you can also help avoid damage to any loads too. The following covers some of the general guidelines on what particular things to check during regular inspections of your material handling fleet.
Forks
It is vital to frequently check the forks because if they are cracked or worn out, they could potentially fail without warning. Any kind of fork damage means that your lift truck should immediately be removed from service until it is safe and fixed once more. Visually check your forks for any noticeable indications of wear or damage. If the cracks run deeper than on the surface, replace them. Any wear on the forks beyond 10 percent is another sign that you must replace the forks.
Mast
Ideally, the mast must tilt back and forward and be able to smoothly move up and down. If you find that the sliding surfaces are binding, you might need to lubricate the mast strip sliding surfaces as well as their fittings. On the inner mast there is a fitting situated on each side. The lift bracket side rollers are a different lubrication point and there is also one on each side roller. When the lubricating has been completed, lower and raise the mast and also tilt it forward and backward a few times in order to guarantee that the lubricant is worked correctly into the fittings.
Tilt Cylinders
Your daily inspection has to include the checking for oil leaks and damage as an uncontrolled mast movement can be caused by oil leakage. Whether the leaks are situated inside of the cylinder or are external, the end result may be cylinder drift and loss of fluid. If there are any signs of damage or leaks, you might have to replace the whole cylinder assembly, or just the seals.
Chains
The mast chains need to be checked to see if they are being stretched beyond their acceptable limits. Furthermore, inspect the chain wear guage or check the chains for indications of damage. If wear is present beyond 2 percent, replace the chain. Also replace it if the chain seems rusted or kinked. Both the chain rollers and the sheave bearings should also be inspected for indications of wear.
The mast lift chain would typically wear at the pin-to-link connections. You can experience chain failure if you discover wear. This can end up damaging front end components or even the product. If you require help determining what precisely to inspect on your lift trucks or if you do not have time on hand to perform frequent fleet inspections, just contact your local lift truck dealer. Their skilled service technicians would help your perform PM or planned maintenance checks according to your scheduling and application needs.