Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's body, cab, frame and boom are normally made by a forklift manufacturer. Steel is the most common materials used to make these since they have tremendous strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are used also. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides within the boom assembly. The other components are typically bought as finished products and the lift truck maker installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products could consist of some of the following: seat, transmission, engine, axles, tires, wheels and hoses, lights, back-up alarms, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Most often, certain materials such as the fuel and lubricants and hydraulic fluids are purchased in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the machine is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The common design which is most standard 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 located towards the rear of the equipment. The boom portion of the unit is mounted at the forklift's back off of a pivot feature which is elevated a few feet above the level of the frame. Usually, the cab is mounted on the left-hand side of the frame structure. Usually, the cab's bottom half is low and located between the tires. The fuel tank and the hydraulic 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 within the frame.
Various manufacturers have contributed their own unique designs beyond this basic configuration. These days, there are many different options existing on the market. Some units of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder to be able to elevate the boom, and other units utilize 2 cylinders. Some units make use of a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature enables the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to allow the machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. Like for example, this is used when the tires on one side of the forklift are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, located on a mound of dirt.
One more common design feature includes fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to allow precise load positioning.