Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are normally made by a forklift manufacturer. The most popular material used for these subassemblies is steel, due to its tremendous strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are also used. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides within the boom assembly. The other parts are typically bought as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Pre-assembled bought products may comprise several of the following: transmission, seat, axles, engine, tires, wheels and hoses, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Usually, certain materials like the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the machinery is assembled and has passed the meticulous testing sessions.
Design
The common design that is most typical of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a long and narrow design that has a set of wheels at the front of the unit and another set located towards the rear of the machine. The unit's boom is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature which is raised several feet above the frame's level. Usually, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Usually, 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 vehicle's center-line, 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 existing on the market. Certain models of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other models use 2 cylinders. Some 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 so as to allow the equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for instance, when the tires on one side of the lift truck are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machine are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are one more common design feature capable of swinging both right and left up to forty five degrees, which increases the accurate load positioning.