Roughly 60 percent of the lift truck market is made up by electric lift truck models. These units derive their power from huge, heavy lead-acid batteries that give the machine it's counterweight in order to avoid it from tipping over.
The ITA states that electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 forklifts. The category of Class1 also includes stand-up counterbalanced forklifts along with other electric trucks that are made for general application. Even if the initial investment when you purchase an electric forklift is more as opposed to an IC or internal combustion truck, electric lift trucks are less expensive to run and operate in the long-run. This is because of lesser fuel and maintenance costs, compared to the internal combustion or IC units.
The majority of the electric rider lift trucks shipped within North America is designed for moving material indoors. They are commonly used in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric units are the best choice for inside applications because they make less noise and emit zero toxic emissions.
The battery of an electric forklift could operate on average for 8 hours or for a single shift. The recharging, reloading and removing batteries which weigh upwards of 3000 pounds could be difficult and time consuming. This burdensome job usually requires a dedicated space for battery handling. Nevertheless, new fast charging technologies are being used to change the procedure and update this process to be able to complete it in a much faster way.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has revolutionized electric model lift trucks and the time it takes to charge their batteries. The experts of the material handling business, state that these new changes within the battery charging systems and battery technology can cut charging time by as much as 50 percent!
IC Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
Internal combustion forklifts depend on a variety of different kinds of fuels, such as liquid propane gas or LPG, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The bigger forklifts are usually utilized outdoors. Generally, these units are gas or diesel powered and utilizes air-filled or pneumatic tires so as to make them suitable for steep inclines and rough terrain, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for indoor applications and smooth services because they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG unit is the most common fuel choice for indoor trucks. Nowadays, there are more than 600,000 propane-filled lift trucks working all around the globe. These models provide numerous advantages. Like for example, propane-fueled forklifts maintain 100 percent constant power during operation. Moreover, these units provide faster ground speeds as opposed to other power sources.