Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, frame and boom are usually produced by a forklift manufacturer. Steel is the most popular materials used to make these because they have amazing strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are utilized too. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are normally purchased as finished products and the forklift maker installs them.
Some of the pre-assembled purchased products consist of the seat, transmission, engine, axles, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Normally, some materials such as the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as needed when the equipment is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The common design that is most standard of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a narrow and long design that has a set of wheels at the front of the model and another set located towards the back of the equipment. The boom part of the unit is mounted at the back of the forklift off of a pivot feature which is raised a few feet above the level of the frame. Generally, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Typically, the cab's bottom half is low and located between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic 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 within the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, different manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market nowadays, there are many different options offered. Certain units of forklifts make use of a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other units use 2 cylinders. Some units make use of a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to enable the equipment 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 equipment are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
One more common design feature comprises fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both right and left, in order to enable accurate load placement.