Lift Truck Components in More Detail
A lift truck is made of thousands of parts. The main components that make up a forklift truck are the frame of the truck, the engine parts, the overhead guard, the tilt cylinders and the wheels. Additionally, a lift truck has a variety of attachments. All the parts that make up a lift truck are all essential because they work together to make the operation of the machine possible. The next paragraphs describe several of the forklift parts in detail.
The Overhead Guard - The overhead guard is actually the lift truck's metal roof, which sits atop the operator cab. It's job is to protect the operator while they are utilizing the machinery. The overhead guard makes sure that nothing falling from above onto the truck will damage the controls inside the cab or harm the operator. The overhead guard is integral to the frame assembly on some models.
The Mast - the mast is a vertical assembly made of interlocking rails and mounted either to the forklift frame or the front axle. The mast provides lateral stability and enables the forks to move up and downwards. The interlocking rails can either have bushings or bushings as guides. There are a couple of ways the mast could be operated: hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders or chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor.
Lift Truck Carriage - the forks and various other kinds of attachments are mounted to the carriage. The carriage is attached to the mast directly to the hydraulic cylinder or it is connected by chains. To allow the forks to be raised and lowered, the carriage could have either rollers or bushings to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - While the carriage is lifted to full height, there is a back rest made of metal that keeps a load from falling backwards. The back rest is either welded or bolted on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - a range of attachments can be fixed to the front of the forklift truck. The most common type of attachment is forks. Additionally, there are L-shaped members, rollers, rotators, pole handlers, roll clamps and so on. These different attachments are useful for moving different types of loads.