It was in the beginning of the 20th Century when the very first forklifts were introduced. These machines during the past 90 plus years has revolutionized the material handling industries and even the recycling industry. The considerations for safe use, the lift truck's evolution and the many different types are discussed below.
History of Forklifts
These powered industrial trucks, also known as forklifts and lift trucks, were created and introduced to the market in the late 19th century. Originally, these models were low lift trucks which were only capable of raising platforms several inches from the ground. Normally, these machinery were utilized for transporting supplies inside a store, such as work-in-progress situations. During the late 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and improvements in truck design started to take root from there. The tier trucks eventually evolved and this allowed for greater stacking of loads and storage effectiveness.
There were extremely difficult economic times during the 1930s. Then again, during this specific time, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation significantly slowed the growth of forklift usage.
Forklifts became a really strategic part of the WWII war effort since the vast shortages in manpower in that time occurred as a resulting of enlistment of thousands of men. It was found that its operator and the lift truck can deal with the work of many men and were extremely productive. As the War progressed, lots of women operators filled the numerous demands. When the war was over, forklifts became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were used a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Some of the leftover pallets and forklifts in Australia left behind by the U.S. Military became the basis for the CHEP or Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool, who today is referred to as the world's largest pallet pooling company.
Gasoline/Diesel
There are numerous advantages to using a gas or diesel powered engine. They are readily available all over the globe; they deliver consistent power throughout the shift, they are great for heavy duty workloads and numerous drivers are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the gas and diesel engines drawbacks comprise: they require a lot more maintenance compared to electric versions, due to the emissions they release, they are not appropriate to be used 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 utilized always.