The forklift has been around since the early part of the 1920's. Ever since its inception, the lift truck has become an indispensable machine for the materials handling industry.
Sometimes referred to as forklifts, among their initial uses was carrying and transporting luggage at airports and train stations. Throughout WWII the use of these machinery exploded and the warehousing industry expanded greatly. The traditional machine was adapted to deal with the requirements of stacking inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to move faster and lift heavier cargo.
Most commonly, forklift trucks are utilized for stacking inventory within warehouses. In the majority of cases, items are packed onto pallets that make it ideal for the tines to move in between the open spaces of the pallets. The lift truck can then securely carry the load without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. When the pallets are in place, they could be easily transported to a different place. Lift trucks are also used much within the shipping, docking, agriculture and mining industry.
The forklift is also seen on constructions locations, because many units have been designed to pick up large heavy boxes and concrete slabs, heavy pipes, other equipment and ceramics. Because it is quite a compact unit, this equipment can move from one location to another at a moderately good speed.
Depending on the particular unit and its intended use, the forklifts dimensions could differ. There are narrow aisle units specially for warehouse applications. These are quite a bit smaller in size and need the floor to be extremely flat. Typically, they are designed with rear wheel steering. There has been a significant increase in these machines in the manufacturing and mining machine industries. Since forklifts normally deal with petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals and flammable supplies, the machinery have become stronger and more durable.
Forklifts have a load capacity ranging from 1 to 5 tons. There are heavy-duty units which can handle up to 50 tons. These models are normally used to load shipping equipment off of and into ships. Lift trucks and their required training to operate are specially regulated to ensure the safety of the people utilizing this specific equipment. No body can utilize them legally without completing the proper documents and training.