The lift truck has been around ever since the early 1920's. Ever since its inception, the lift truck has become an indispensable machinery for the materials handling business.
Sometimes called forklifts, one of their initial uses was carrying and moving baggage at airports and train stations. Throughout WWII using these equipment exploded and the warehousing business expanded greatly. The conventional machinery was adapted to deal with the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were made to move faster and lift heavier cargo.
Usually, forklift trucks are used for stacking inventory inside warehouses. In the majority of cases, things are packed onto pallets that make it ideal for the blades to move in between the open spaces of the pallets. The forklift can then securely carry the load without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. Once the pallets are in position, they can be easily transported to a different place. Lift trucks are also utilized much in the shipping, docking, mining and agricultural industry.
Forklifts are usually seen on construction sites. The manufacturers of these machines make them to lift large heavy boxes and heavy pipes, concrete slabs, other equipment and ceramics. As it is quite a compact unit, this machine could move from one place to a different place at a moderately good speed.
Depending on the specific unit and its intended application, the forklifts dimensions can vary. There are narrow aisle units particularly for warehouse applications. These need the floor to be extremely flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Typically, they are made with rear wheel steering. There has been a significant increase in these equipment within the manufacturing and mining equipment industries. Because forklifts usually deal with flammable supplies, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals, the machines have become more robust and stronger.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Some heavy duty units have been designed to handle as many as 50 tons. These models are usually utilized to load shipping equipment onto and off of ships. Lift trucks and their required training to operate are specially regulated to ensure the safety of the people using this particular machine. No body can utilize them legally without finishing the correct training and documents.