It was during the start of the 20th Century when the very first forklifts were launched. These machinery during the last 90 plus years has revolutionized the material handling business and even the recycling industry. The considerations for safe operation, the forklift's evolution and the many different types are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
These powered industrial trucks, also known as forklifts and lift trucks, were created and introduced to the market during the latter part of the 19th century. Originally, these units were low lift trucks which were just capable of raising platforms a few inches high. Normally, these machines were used for moving material inside a store, such as work-in-progress situations. In the latter part of 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and enhancements in truck design 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 during the 1930s. However, in 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.
During the second World War, lift trucks became a strategic part of the war effort. During that era, vast shortages in manpower happened resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was discovered that its driver and the forklift were really productive and could deal with the work of many men. As the War progressed, lots of women drivers filled the many demands. By the time the war was over, lift trucks became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were used a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Some of the leftover pallets and lift trucks within Australia left behind by the U.S. Military became the basis for the CHEP or Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool, who today is known as the largest pallet pooling company in the world.
Gasoline/Diesel
Diesel and gasoline engines have many advantages. They are readily available all over the world; they are perfect for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and a lot of operators are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the gas and diesel engines drawbacks include: they require a lot more maintenance than electric models, due to the emissions they release, they are not suitable for indoor applications, there is some difficulty and cost associated to disposal of fluid and oil and they need a re-fueling station on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.