Raw Materials
The cab, body, boom and frame of a telescoping boom rough terrain forklift are generally made by a forklift manufacturer. The most popular material used for these subassemblies is steel, due to its amazing strength. Sometimes aluminum or steel forgings are used also. It is common for non-metallic materials like nylon plastic blocks to be utilized as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are typically purchased as finished products and the forklift maker installs them.
Pre-assembled purchased products could include several of the following: seat, transmission, engine, axles, tires, wheels and hoses, backup-alarm, lights, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Most often, some materials like the hydraulic fluid and fuel and lubricants are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as needed when the equipment is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The common design which is most typical 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 back of the equipment. The boom part of the model is mounted at the forklift's rear off of a pivot feature that is raised several feet above the frame's level. Generally, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Typically, the cab's bottom half is low and situated 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 in the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, various manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market nowadays, there are many different options available. Some units of forklifts use a single hydraulic cylinder in order to elevate the boom, and other models use 2 cylinders. Some units utilize a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This particular feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles so as to enable the machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. This is used for instance, when the tires on one side of the lift truck are situated down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the machinery are up, situated on a mound of dirt.
One more common design feature includes fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both right and left, in order to enable accurate load placement.