The forklift has been around since the early 1920's. This kind of machine was developed during the 1920s and ever since its invention, has become one of the most of the indispensable pieces of manufacturing and warehousing machinery within the globe.
Sometimes called forklifts, among their initial uses was carrying and transporting luggage at train stations and airports. During the Second World War the use of these machinery exploded and the warehousing industry expanded greatly. The conventional machine was adapted to deal with the need to stack inventory on higher shelves and they were designed to lift heavier cargo and move faster.
Most commonly, forklift trucks are used for stacking inventory inside warehouses. In most cases, items are packed onto pallets that make it ideal for the tines to move in between the open spaces of the pallets. The forklift could then securely lift the goods without it wobbling or falling onto the ground. Once the pallets are in position, they could be transported easily to a different place. Forklifts are also utilized a lot within the agriculture, mining, docking and shipping business.
The forklift is also seen on constructions sites, as many units have been made to lift big heavy boxes and concrete slabs, heavy pipes, other equipment and ceramics. As it is quite a compact unit, this specific machinery could move from one location to another at a moderately good speed.
The dimensions of the forklift differ depending on the unit and its specific use. For warehousing applications, there are the narrow aisle truck units. These need the floor to be really flat and are quite a bit smaller in size. Normally, they are made with rear wheel steering. There has been a dramatic increase in these machines in the manufacturing and mining machine industries. As forklifts normally deal with petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals and flammable supplies, the equipment have become more durable and stronger.
The forklifts may have load capacities from 1 to as many as 5 tons. Some heavy duty models have been made to handle as many as 50 tons. These models are usually used to load shipping equipment off of and into ships. Forklifts and their required training to operate are specifically regulated to ensure the safety of the people using this particular machinery. No body is able to legally utilize them without finishing the correct training and documents.