The forklift has been around since the early part of the 1920's. Since its inception, the forklift has become an indispensable machine for the materials handling business.
Sometimes called forklifts, among their initial uses was lifting and moving baggage at train stations and airports. Throughout the Second World War using these machinery exploded and the warehousing business expanded significantly. The traditional machinery was adapted to deal with the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were made to move faster and lift heavier loads.
Usually, lift truck trucks are used for stacking inventory inside warehouses. In most cases, objects are packed onto pallets which make it ideal for the blades to move in between the open spaces of the pallets. The lift truck can then securely lift the cargo without it falling into the ground or wobbling. Once the pallets are in place, they could be transported easily to a different location. Forklifts are also utilized much in the agriculture, mining, docking and shipping industry.
The lift truck is also seen on constructions sites, as numerous units have been designed to lift huge heavy boxes and concrete slabs, heavy pipes, other equipment and ceramics. Because it is fairly a compact unit, this specific machine is able to move from one location to another at a moderately good speed.
Depending upon the particular unit and its intended use, the lift trucks dimensions could vary. There are narrow aisle models particularly for warehouse use. These require the floor to be very flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Usually, they are made with rear wheel steering. There has been a dramatic increase in these machines within the mining and manufacturing machine industries. Because lift trucks often handle flammable materials, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals, the machines have become tougher and more durable.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Some heavy duty units have been designed to deal with as many as 50 tons. These models are usually used to load shipping equipment off of and into ships. Forklifts and their required training to operate are specifically regulated to ensure the safety of the people utilizing this specific machinery. No body can operate them legally without finishing the proper training and documents.