It is recommended to frequently inspect 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 ahead of time or as they happen, you can also help prevent damage to any kind of loads too. The following covers a few of the general guidelines on what specific things to inspect during frequent inspections of your material handling fleet.
Forks
Frequently checking the forks is vital because if these are cracked or worn out, they might fail without warning. Any kind of fork damage means that your forklift must instantly be removed from service until it is fixed and safe once again. Visually inspect your forks for any visible 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 one more indication that you should replace the forks.
Mast
The mast should ideally tilt backward and forward while being able to move down and up. You may need to lubricate the mast strip sliding surfaces and fittings if you find that the sliding surfaces are binding. On the inner mast there is a fitting located on every side. The lift bracket side rollers are another lubrication point and there is also one on every side roller. Once the lubricating has been completed, raise and lower the mast and also tilt it forward and backward a few times in order to guarantee that the lubricant is worked properly into the fittings.
Tilt Cylinders
Uncontrolled mast movement could be a result of oil leakage; thus, your inspection should include checking for damage and for oil leaks. Whether the leaks are situated inside of the cylinder or are external, the end result can be loss of fluid and cylinder drift. If there are any indications of damage or leaks, you might have to replace just the seals or the whole cylinder assembly.
Chains
The mast chains have 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 signs of damage. If there is wear beyond 2 percent, replace the chain. Also replace it if the chain seems kinked or rusted. Both the chain rollers and the sheave bearings should also be checked for indications of wear.
Usually, mast lift chains wear at the pin-to-link connections. If you notice wear, you can experience chain failure. This could end up damaging front end components or even the product. If you do not have time on hand to carry out frequent fleet inspections or if you require help determining what exactly to check on your lift trucks, simply call your local forklift dealer. Their trained service technicians would help your perform planned maintenance or PM checks according to your application needs and scheduling.