Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are normally manufactured by a forklift manufacturer. The most popular material used for these subassemblies is steel, due to its incredible strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are used as well. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other parts are typically bought as finished products and the lift truck manufacturer installs them.
Some of the pre-assembled bought products consist of the seat, transmission, axles, engine, tires, wheels and hoses, backup-alarm, lights, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Normally, some materials such as the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as needed once the machinery 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 model and another set located towards the back of the machinery. The boom portion of the model is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature which is raised several feet above the level of the frame. Generally, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Typically, the bottom half of the cab is low and located between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic fuel tank are mounted on the right-hand side, opposite the cab. Along the vehicle's center-line, the engine and the transmission are mounted inside the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Nowadays, there are many different options offered on the market. Some units of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other models use 2 cylinders. Several units utilize 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 machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for example, 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 machinery are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
One more popular design feature comprises fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both right and left, in order to allow precise load positioning.