Raw Materials
The body, cab, frame and boom of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are usually manufactured by a forklift manufacturer. The most popular material used for these subassemblies is steel, due to its tremendous strength. At times aluminum or steel forgings are also utilized. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are normally bought as finished products and the forklift maker installs them.
Some of the pre-assembled bought products include the seat, transmission, engine, axles, hoses, tires and wheels, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Most often, some materials like the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as needed when the machine is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The long and narrow design of the telescoping boom rough terrain forklift is most common, with a set of wheels at the front of the unit and another set located towards the rear of the equipment. The model's boom is mounted at the rear of the forklift 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 cab's bottom half is low and located 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 engine and the transmission are mounted inside the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. Today, there are numerous options existing on the market. Certain models of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other units use 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 equipment to compensate for extreme axle articulation. For example, 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.
Another popular design feature comprises fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to allow precise load placement.