Self-propelled forklifts first appeared in 1917.  Forklifts were further developed during World War II. China began manufacturing forklifts in the early 1950s. Fuel efficient diesel forklifts are classified into six types according to their structure: counterbalance forklifts, reach trucks, side-loading forklifts, straddle forklifts, container handlers, and special forklifts. Among these, counterbalance forklifts are the most widely used and are often simply referred to as forklifts.
A forklift is a type of wheeled handling vehicle used for loading, unloading, stacking, and short-distance transportation of palletized goods. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO/TC110) calls them industrial trucks. They belong to the category of material handling machinery. They are widely used in various sectors of the national economy, such as railway stations, ports, airports, factories, and warehouses, and are highly efficient equipment for mechanized loading, unloading, stacking, and short-distance transportation.
Forklifts mainly handle packaged goods. By replacing the forks with various attachments (forklift attachments), they can also handle a variety of other goods. A forklift mainly consists of the following components:
① Power unit. Such as internal combustion engines and battery-electric motors.
② Transmission system. Divided into mechanical, hydraulic, and hydrostatic transmission systems.
③ Steering system. Such as steering gear, steering wheels, and steering rods.
④ Working device. Also known as the mast, it consists of the inner mast, outer mast, fork carriage, forks, sprockets, chains, lifting cylinder, and tilting cylinder.
⑤ Hydraulic system and braking system. The main parameter indicating forklift performance is the rated lifting capacity at the standard lifting height and standard load center distance. The load center distance is the distance from the center of gravity of the cargo to the front wall of the vertical section of the forks.
Precautions for Using Electric Forklifts
When test driving for the first time, the wheels should be lifted off the ground to prevent danger in case of incorrect connections.
When charging the battery, the charging circuit must be completely disconnected from the chopper, because in addition to affecting the charger's charging, the overvoltage generated by the charger will also damage the chopper.
Special attention should be paid to ensuring that the wiring from the battery to the electronic control unit is arranged in parallel and as short as possible.
When the vehicle is operating in harsh conditions or poorly ventilated areas, forced ventilation of the controller is recommended. What are the maximum lifting capacity and load center of a forklift? What is their relationship?
The maximum weight of goods that a forklift for container loading and unloading can lift and handle when the center of gravity of the goods is on the same vertical line as the load center is called the maximum lifting capacity of the forklift. The horizontal distance from the standard load center to the front wall of the vertical section of the forks is called the load center of the forklift. Usually, the load center is specified during the design process according to standards; that is, forklifts with different lifting capacities generally have different load centers. When the center of gravity of the goods is within the load center range, the forklift can perform loading and unloading operations at its maximum lifting capacity. Otherwise, the stability of the forklift will be compromised, and accidents are more likely to occur.