Raw Materials
The cab, body, frame and boom of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are normally made by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material for these subassemblies is steel, because of its tremendous strength. Sometimes steel forgings or aluminum are used as well. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides within the boom assembly. The other parts are usually purchased as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Several of the pre-assembled purchased products consist of the seat, transmission, axles, engine, hoses, tires and wheels, lights, back-up alarms, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Usually, certain materials like for instance the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the machinery is assembled and has passed the meticulous testing sessions.
Design
The narrow and long 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 machine. The boom portion of the unit is mounted at the rear of the forklift off of a pivot feature which is elevated a few feet above the level of the frame. Generally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Normally, the cab's bottom half is low and situated between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic fuel tank are mounted on the right-hand side, opposite the cab. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the transmission and the engine are mounted within the frame.
Different manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Today, there are many different options available on the market. Certain units of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other models make use of 2 cylinders. Several 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 machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is utilized for instance, 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, located on a mound of dirt.
One more popular design feature includes fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both right and left, in order to enable precise load placement.