Forklifts were introduced onto the market during the start of the 20th Century. These machinery have played a tremendously powerful role in the recycling industry and have also revolutionized the material handling industry. The considerations for safe operation, the forklift's evolution and the various different types are discussed below.
History of Forklifts
Powered industrial trucks are also known as lift trucks and forklifts, were originally introduced and invented in the late 19th Century. These first models were low lift trucks which were capable of raising platforms only several inches high. Generally, these types of machinery were used for transporting material inside a store, like work-in-progress situations. In the late 1910s, high lift trucks initially emerged and enhancements in truck design began to take root from there. The tier trucks ultimately developed and this allowed for better stacking of loads and storage effectiveness.
In the 1930s, there were some extremely difficult economic times. Then again, during this time, labor was freely available but money for investment was more and more difficult to come by. This situation significantly slowed the growth of forklift usage.
Lift trucks became a very strategic part of the WWII war effort since the vast shortages in manpower during that time happened as a resulting of enlistment of thousands of men. It was found that a forklift and its operator could handle the work of many men and were extremely productive. As the War continued, lots of women drivers filled the many demands. When the war was over, lift trucks became a mainstay of the material handling business. They were utilized a lot in the Pacific war efforts. A few of the leftover pallets and forklifts in 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 largest pallet pooling company in the globe.
Gasoline/Diesel
Diesel and gasoline engines have many advantages. They are always available all over the globe; they deliver consistent power throughout the shift, they are suitable for heavy duty workloads and numerous operators are quite familiar with the source of power.
Several of the gas and diesel engines drawbacks include: they require a lot more maintenance compared to electric models, due to the emissions they release, they are not suitable to be utilized inside, there is some difficulty and cost connected to oil and fluid disposal and they need a re-fueling post on-site if they are going to be used always.