Forklifts are quintessential assets in warehousing, manufacturing and construction industries. Assisting with heavy-duty tasks, forklifts can perform what would be strenuous or perhaps impossible tasks quickly, effectively and safely. However, forklifts contain various categories upon subcategories of different parts, making it difficult to completely comprehend and understand these machines. If you are seeking to understand the most important parts of a forklift, you can use this article as a simple and easy-to-follow guide.
Chassis or Frame:
Most of the main parts of a forklift are obviously located on the chassis or frame. Main parts to the chassis include:
The Counterweight:
When deliberating what forklift best suits your needs, the counterweight is one the most vital factors to consider. As it sounds, the counterweight of a forklift is the part that “counters” the weight or load placed onto the forklift. If forklifts didn’t contain a counterweight, they would simply tip and fall over when lifting any heavy loads, making their most valuable use redundant.
They are usually located at the rear of a forklift to balance any load that is placed on the front. The counterweight you need should be determined by the max lift capacity you are working within. For example, Ace Plant will soon have the Manitou M 30-4 available. The Manitou M 30-4 has a lift capacity of 3000kg. So, in this example, if you’re conducting any work below a lift capacity of 3000kg, then the Manitou M 30-4 would be a forklift to consider acquiring.
Forklift Wheels:
Forklift wheels are of course another main part of forklifts. There are 2 main types of tyre wheels for forklifts:
Cushion Tyres:
Cushion tyres can be used for indoor or paved environments. Composed of solid rubber, they sit closer to the ground and provide a smaller turning radius compared to pneumatic tyres. Due to this, cushion tyres have a slight advantage in manoeuvrability; however, they will begin to struggle as soon as they enter outdoor, uneven surfaces.
Pneumatic Tyres:
Solid Pneumatic tyres are built with solid rubber, similar to cushion tyres, but usually contain treads and are more puncture proof. Therefore, pneumatic tyres are best for outdoor locations where the ground is uneven.
Driving Wheels:
It is also important to consider how many driving wheels a forklift has. For example, the new Manitou M 30-4 runs on a 4-wheel drive, which delivers greater manoeuvrability than any 2-wheel counterpart.
Masts:
The mast is one of the most critical parts of a forklift as it is responsible for lifting and lowering the loads placed onto the forklift. There are 4 masts available, including:
Simplex (Single Stage):
A basic mast with a single lifting stage. The lifting limit of simplex or single stage masts typically ranges from 8 to 12 feet (2.5 to 3.5 meters).
Duplex (Two Stage):
Has two stages of lift, providing greater height capability. Usually, the lifting limit of duplex masts ranges from 12 to 20 feet (3.5 to 6 meters)
Triplex (Three Stage):
Offers three stages of lift, allowing for higher reach while maintaining a lower collapsed height. Lifting limit of triplex masts commonly ranges from 15 to 25 feet (4.5 to 7.5 meters).
Quad (Four Stage):
Provides the highest reach with four lifting stages, suitable for very high stacking. The lifting limit of quad stage masts generally ranges from 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters).
The higher the mast can go, the higher the cost of the forklift. If you are working on high stacking projects however, higher stage masts are simply a must-have to ensure a safe and productive operation.
Fuel Tank:
Finally, the fuel tank is often overlooked as a main part to forklifts. However, a higher fuel tank capacity means you can operate your fuel for longer without having to stop operations and refuel. For example, the mentioned Manitou M 30-4 has a staggering 120L fuel tank, which offers just under 20 hours of use before having to refuel!
That concludes the main parts of a forklift. If you are interested in gaining an even higher understanding of forklifts, or you are interested in acquiring a forklift from us, please feel free to contact us!