Forklift Components in More Detail
A lift truck is constructed from numerous components. The main parts which make up a lift truck are the frame of the truck, the engine components, the overhead guard, the wheels and the tilt cylinders. Moreover, a lift truck has a variety of attachments. All the components making up a forklift are all important since they work together to make the functions of the equipment possible. The subsequent paragraphs describe in detail some of the forklift components.
The Overhead Guard - The overhead guard is actually the lift truck's metal roof, that sits atop the operator cab. It's job is to protect the operator whilst they are using the machinery. The overhead guard ensures that nothing falling from above onto the truck would injure the operator or damage the controls inside the cab. The overhead guard is essential to the frame assembly on several models.
The Mast - Mounted either to the forklift frame or the front axle, the mast is the vertical forklift component made of interlocking rails. The mast enables the forks to move upwards and downwards while providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails could either have rollers or bushings as guides. There are two ways the mast may be operated: hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders or chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor.
Lift Truck Carriage - The carriage is the component that the forks and other types of attachments are mounted to. The carriage is in fact directly attached to the hydraulic cylinder and is connected by chains. To be able to allow the forks to be raised and lowered, the carriage can have either rollers or bushings to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - a back rest is a metal rack which prevents a load from falling backwards while the carriage is lifted to its full height. The back rest is either welded or bolted on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - There are various types of attachments that can be fixed directly to the forklifts carriage. Forks are the most common kind of attachment. Moreover, there are L-shaped members, rotators, rollers, pole handlers, roll clamps and so on. These different attachments are helpful for moving various kinds of loads.