Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks are electric trucks made to function in narrow aisles. A counterbalanced lift truck can turn in the aisle as standard storage aisles are 3.6 meters wide and this is enough space. Nevertheless, narrow aisles can be about 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow area needs specialized lift truck models which are capable of tight turns, small, could put away loads without turning. The common types of narrow-aisle trucks are order pickers, reach trucks and turret trucks.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
The very first types of narrow-aisle lift trucks developed for warehouse applications are the reach trucks. These small trucks can easily turn in narrow aisles as their design has eliminated the requirement for a big counterweight. Stability is instead provided by outrigger arms that extend in front of the truck. The downside of this design is that the outrigger arms could inhibit access to the storage rack as the truck cannot get close enough. These trucks really work well inside a warehouse that is well lit, has clean, even floors, ample turning space and good traffic flow.
Turret trucks
The turret truck design has turning forks on side of the truck. The forks pivot 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load faces forward whilst the operator drives down the aisle. When it stops at the designated storage place, the forks of the truck turn to the storage side and raise the load to their full extension, and then smoothly deposit the load prior to resuming their original position. Turret trucks are available with a wire guidance system that keeps the truck on its path in really narrow aisles. Operators remain at floor level in man-down trucks.