Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally made by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material used for these subassemblies is steel, due to its amazing strength. At times steel forgings or aluminum are used also. 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 manufacturer installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products can include several of the following: transmission, seat, engine, axles, tires, wheels and hoses, lights, back-up alarms, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Usually, certain materials like for example the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as needed once the machinery is assembled and has passed the meticulous 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 model and another set situated towards the rear of the equipment. The boom portion of the unit is mounted at the back of the forklift off of a pivot feature that is raised a few feet above the frame's level. Usually, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Usually, the cab's bottom half is low and located between the tires. The hydraulic fuel tank and the fuel tank are mounted on the right-hand side, opposite the cab. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the engine and the transmission are mounted in the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, different manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market today, there are many different options offered. Some units of forklifts make use of a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other units utilize 2 cylinders. Some models make use of a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to allow the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for example, this is used when the tires on one side of the lift truck are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Fork attachments are another popular design feature capable of swinging both right and left up to 45 degrees, that increases the precise load placement.