The forklift has been around ever since the early part of the 1920's. Ever since its inception, the forklift has become an indispensable machine for the materials handling industry.
The lift truck is also referred to as a lift truck and was initially utilized to carry and transport baggage at train stations and airports. During the Second World War using these machines exploded and the warehousing industry expanded significantly. The traditional machine was adapted to handle the requirement to stack inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to move faster and carry heavier loads.
Most commonly, forklift trucks are used for stacking inventory in warehouses. In most cases, items are packed onto pallets which make it ideal for the blades to move in between the open spaces of the pallets. The forklift could then securely lift the cargo without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. Once the pallets are in position, they could be easily transported to a different location. Forklifts are also used much in the mining, agricultural, shipping and docking industry.
The forklift is also seen on constructions locations, because numerous units have been made to pick up large heavy boxes and concrete slabs, heavy pipes, other equipment and ceramics. Because it is fairly a compact unit, this equipment could move from one location to another at a fairly good speed.
Depending upon the particular unit and its intended use, the lift trucks dimensions could differ. There are narrow aisle units particularly for warehouse applications. These require the floor to be extremely flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Typically, they are made with rear wheel steering. There has been a dramatic increase in these machines within the manufacturing and mining machinery industries. Since lift trucks usually handle pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals and flammable materials, the equipment have become stronger and more robust.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Some heavy duty models have been designed to deal with as many as 50 tons. These models are often utilized to load shipping equipment onto and off of ships. Forklifts and their required training to operate are specifically regulated to ensure the safety of the individuals using this particular machine. No body could legally utilize them without completing the correct training and documents.