Forklift Parts in More Detail
There are hundreds of parts which make up a lift truck. The forklifts main components include the truck frame, the engine parts, the overhead guard, the tilt cylinders and the wheels. Moreover, a forklift has a range of attachments. All the parts making up a forklift are all essential because they work together to make the equipment's operation possible. The following paragraphs describe a few of the forklift parts in detail.
The Overhead Guard - The overhead guard is really the forklifts metal roof, which sits atop the operator cab. It's job is to protect the operator whilst they are utilizing the equipment. The overhead guard ensures that nothing falling from above onto the truck would injure the driver or damage the controls in the cab. The overhead guard is integral to the frame assembly on some units.
The Mast - Mounted either to the front axle or the forklift frame, the mast is the vertical lift truck component made of interlocking rails. The mast enables the forks to move upwards and downwards whilst providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails can either have bushings or bushings as guides. There are two ways the mast may be operated: chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor or hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders.
Forklift Carriage - the forks and various other attachments are mounted to the carriage. The carriage is connected to the mast directly to the hydraulic cylinder or it is attached by chains. To allow the forks to be raised and lowered, the carriage can have either bushings or rollers to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - a back rest is a metal rack which prevents a load from falling backwards while the carriage is raised to its full height. The back rest is either bolted or welded on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - a range of attachments may be fixed to the front of the lift truck. The most common type of attachment is forks. Furthermore, there are L-shaped members, rotators, rollers, roll clamps, pole handlers and so on. These different attachments are really useful for transporting different types of loads.