Raw Materials
The cab, body, frame and boom of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally manufactured by a lift truck manufacturer. The most popular material utilized for these subassemblies is steel, due to its amazing strength. At times steel forgings or aluminum are also used. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are normally bought as finished products and the forklift manufacturer installs them.
Several of the pre-assembled purchased products comprise the transmission, seat, engine, axles, tires, wheels and hoses, backup-alarm, lights, hydraulic cylinders and gauges. Most often, some materials such as the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as needed once the machine is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The narrow and long 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 back of the machinery. The boom part of the model is mounted at the back of the forklift off of a pivot feature which is elevated a few feet above the level of the frame. 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 opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the transmission and the engine are mounted within the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, different manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market now, there are many different options offered. Some models of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other units make use of 2 cylinders. Some units utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to enable the machine to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for example, this is utilized 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 equipment are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
Another common design feature comprises fork attachments which are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to enable precise load placement.