Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, boom and frame are usually produced by a forklift maker. Steel is the most common materials used to make these as they have tremendous strength. At times steel forgings or aluminum are also utilized. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other parts are typically purchased as finished products and the forklift maker installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products could include several of the following: transmission, seat, axles, engine, wheels, hoses and tires, lights, back-up alarms, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Most often, some materials like for example the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the machine is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The common design that is most typical of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a long and narrow design that has a set of wheels at the front of the unit and another set situated towards the rear of the equipment. The unit's boom is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature which is raised a few feet above the level of the frame. Usually, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Normally, 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 vehicle's center-line, the transmission and the engine are mounted in the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, different manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market these days, there are numerous options offered. Some models of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other units make use of 2 cylinders. Several units use a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to allow the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for instance, this is used 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 machine are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are one more common design feature capable of swinging both right and left up to 45 degrees, that improves the accurate load positioning.