Forklifts were introduced onto the market in the beginning of the 20th Century. These machines have played a hugely powerful part in the recycling industry and have also changed the material handling industry. The factors for safe use, the lift truck's evolution and the many different types are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
These powered industrial trucks, also known as forklifts and lift trucks, were invented and introduced to the market during the latter part of the 19th century. At first, these units were low lift trucks that were only capable of raising platforms a few inches from the ground. Usually, these types of equipment were utilized for transporting material within a store, such as work-in-progress situations. During the late 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and enhancements in truck design started to take root from there. The tier trucks eventually developed and this allowed for greater storage effectiveness and stacking of loads.
During the 1930s, there were some really tough economic times. Nevertheless, during this period, labor was freely available but capital for investment was more and more difficult to come by. This situation greatly slowed the growth of forklift usage.
Forklifts became a really strategic part of the the second World War war effort since the vast shortages in manpower during that time occurred as a resulting of enlistment of thousands of men. It was found that a lift truck and its driver were very productive and can deal with the work of numerous men. As the War continued, lots of women operators filled the numerous demands. When the war was over, forklifts became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were utilized a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Some of the leftover pallets and forklifts within Australia left behind by the United States Military became the basis for the Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool or CHEP, who today is referred to as the world's largest pallet pooling company.
Diesel/Gasoline
There are many advantages to utilizing a gas or diesel powered engine. They are readily available all over the globe; they are great for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and many operators are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the main drawbacks of diesel and gasoline units comprise: they need much more maintenance compared to electric models, because of the emissions they release, they are not appropriate to be utilized inside, there is some cost and difficulty connected to disposal of oil and fluid and they need a re-fueling station on-site if they are going to be utilized always.