Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally manufactured by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material used for these subassemblies is steel, because of its incredible strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are utilized also. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides within the boom assembly. The other components are normally purchased as finished products and the forklift maker installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products can comprise some of the following: seat, transmission, engine, axles, wheels, hoses and tires, lights, back-up alarms, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Usually, some materials like the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as needed once the equipment is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The long and narrow design of the telescoping boom rough terrain forklift is most common, with a set of wheels at the front of the unit and another set located towards the back of the machine. The model's boom is mounted at the forklift's back off of a pivot feature that is raised a few feet above the level of the frame. Usually, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Usually, the bottom half of the cab is low and situated between the tires. The hydraulic fuel tank and the fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the engine and the transmission are mounted inside the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, various manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market these days, there are numerous options available. Certain models of forklifts utilize 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 in order to allow the equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for example, when the tires on one side of the lift truck are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are another common design feature capable of swinging both right and left up to forty five degrees, which increases the accurate load positioning.