The forklift has been around ever since the early part of the 1920's. Since its inception, the forklift has become an indispensable machine for the materials handling business.
The lift truck is also referred to as a lift truck and was initially used to lift and move baggage at airports and train stations. Throughout WWII utilizing these machinery exploded and the warehousing business expanded greatly. The traditional machinery was adapted to handle the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were made to move faster and carry heavier cargo.
Normally, forklift trucks are used for stacking inventory within warehouses. In most cases, objects are packed onto pallets that make it ideal for the blades to move in between the open spaces of the pallets. The forklift could then carry the goods securely without it falling into the ground or wobbling. Once the pallets are in place, they can be easily transported to a different place. Forklifts are also utilized a lot within the shipping, docking, mining and agricultural business.
Forklifts are often seen on construction sites. The manufacturers of these equipment design them to pick up large heavy boxes and heavy pipes, concrete slabs, other equipment and ceramics. As it is quite a compact unit, this particular machine could move from one location to a different location at a moderately good speed.
The dimensions of the forklift differ depending on the model and its specific use. For warehousing applications, there are the narrow aisle truck units. These need the floor to be really flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Normally, they are designed with rear wheel steering. There has been a dramatic increase in these machinery in the mining and manufacturing machinery businesses. Because lift trucks often deal with pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals and flammable materials, the equipment have become more robust and tougher.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Several heavy duty units have been designed to handle as many as 50 tons. These units are usually used to load shipping equipment onto and off of ships. Lift trucks and their required training to operate are specifically regulated to ensure the safety of the people using this specific machine. No body can operate them legally without completing the proper documents and training.