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 industry.
Sometimes referred to as forklifts, amongst their initial uses was lifting and transporting baggage at train stations and airports. During the Second World War utilizing these machinery exploded and the warehousing business expanded greatly. The traditional machine was adapted to handle the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were made to move faster and carry heavier cargo.
The lift truck is usually used for stacking inventory inside warehouses. Items for the most part are packed onto pallets which are made particularly to allow the forks to move beneath the openings of the pallets. The forklift can then securely carry the cargo without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. Once the pallets are in place, they could be transported easily to another place. Forklifts are also used much in the shipping, docking, mining and agricultural industry.
The forklift is also seen on constructions locations, as many units have been designed to lift large heavy boxes and concrete slabs, heavy pipes, other equipment and ceramics. Because it is quite a compact unit, this specific machine is able to move from one location to another 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 require the floor to be really flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Typically, they are designed with rear wheel steering. There has been a dramatic increase in these machinery in the mining and manufacturing equipment industries. As forklifts often handle 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 made to deal with as many as 50 tons. These units are normally utilized to load shipping equipment off of and into ships. Forklifts and their required training to operate are specifically regulated to ensure the safety of the people using this particular machinery. No one can legally utilize them without finishing the correct documents and training.