Fork Lifts: Ready to Pick up or move any load
By: The Working Man



Fork Lifts or Forklifts, AKA High/Low, Pallet Truck, Skid Truck,
Stacker-Truck, Lift Truck, and Side Loader, is a piece of
machinery that is used to lift and move materials from one place
to another. Usually the materials are on a pallet (skid) and can
be moved easily with the forks inserting into the rungs of the
pallet.

This piece of equipment is usually used in warehouses and
manufacturing plants. It is one of the most important pieces of
equipment for the everyday operation of warehouses and
manufacturers since the majority of good shipped to retail
warehouses and stores are packed on pallets. The Forklift was
originally developed in the early twentieth century by many
different companies like Yale & Towne Manufacturing and Clark.

Here is a list of different types of pallet or skid lifts
arranged from smallest to largest:

-Hand pallet truck
Walkie low lift truck (powered pallet truck, usually electrically
powered)
Rider low lift truck
Towing tractor
Walkie stacker
Rider stacker
Reach truck (small forklift, designed for small aisles, usually
electrically powered)
Electric counterbalanced truck
IC counterbalanced truck
Sideloader
Telescopic handler
Slip Sheet machine
Walkie Order Picking truck
Rider Order Picking truck (commonly called an "Order Picker";
like a small forklift, except the operator rides up to
the load and transfers it article by article)
Articulated Very Narrow Aisle Counterbalanced trucks (commonly
called "Flexi Truck")
Guided Very Narrow Aisle truck - 'Man Down' (a type
of reach truck designed for aisles less than five feet wide)
and 'Man Riser' Combination Order Picker/ Stacker truck
Truck Mounted Forklift / Sod Loader


There are machines used for lifting that are counterbalanced
forklift trucks and are for more specialized uses. The
articulated counterbalance truck is a hybrid that is used for
very narrow aisles. VNA trucks need to be able to offload and
onload trailers and racks in very narrow aisles.

The Guided Very Narrow Aisle Trucks can lift up to twelve meters
and if it is a "non top-tied" can lift thirty meters. It comes in
two forms: man down and man-riser. This type of lift requires a
very flat and even working surface.

Forklifts also can come with a variety of attachments. Plus, some
specialized forklifts can lift over fifty tons!



See Also:

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