Lift trucks were introduced onto the market in the start of the 20th Century. These equipment have played a hugely powerful role in the recycling business and have also changed the material handling industry. The factors for safe use, the lift truck's evolution and the various different types are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
Powered industrial trucks are also called lift trucks and forklifts, were initially introduced and invented in the latter part of the 19th Century. These first units were low lift trucks that were capable of raising platforms just several inches high. Normally, these equipment were used for transporting material inside a shop, such as work-in-progress situations. In the latter part of 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and truck design enhancements began to take root from there. The tier trucks ultimately evolved and this allowed for better stacking of loads and storage effectiveness.
There were extremely tough economic times in the 1930s. However, throughout this particular time, labor was freely available but capital 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 the second World War war effort as the vast shortages in manpower in that time occurred as a resulting of enlistment of thousands of men. It was found that a lift truck and its driver were really productive and can deal with the work of numerous men. As the War continued, a lot of women operators filled the many demands. When the war was over, forklifts became a mainstay of the material handling business. They were utilized a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Several of the leftover pallets and forklifts in Australia left behind by the U.S. Military became the basis for the Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool or CHEP, who today is referred to as the world's largest pallet pooling business.
Gasoline/Diesel
There are many advantages to utilizing a gas or diesel powered engine. They are readily available all around the globe; they are perfect for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and lots of operators are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the major disadvantages of gasoline and diesel units comprise: they need a lot more maintenance than electric units, because of the emissions they release, they are not appropriate to be used indoors, there is some cost and difficulty connected to disposal of oil and fluid and they need a re-fueling station on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.