Clothing Definitions — warehouse and distribution terms from Apparel Search
A forklift is the machine that makes a modern apparel warehouse possible. It is a powered industrial truck used to hoist and transport materials by means of steel forks inserted under the load — under, in practice, the pallet the load sits on. This page defines the forklift, sketches how it developed from its 1917 invention into the electric and engine-powered trucks of today, and explains its role in clothing distribution, where it unloads containers and trailers, stacks palletized cartons in racking, and keeps goods moving between dock and storage.
A forklift is a powered industrial truck used to hoist and transport materials by means of steel forks inserted under the load. The forklift was invented in 1917 by a transmission manufacturing company in order to facilitate the movement of heavy automotive subassemblies. It has since become an indispensable piece of equipment in many manufacturing and warehousing operations.
Characteristics
A typical forklift may be generally described as follows:
The truck proper, which is a motive machine with wheels powered through a transmission and drive train
An LPG, gasoline or diesel fueled internal combustion engine, or a battery-powered electric motor
The counterweight, which is a heavy iron mass attached to the rear of the machine, necessary to compensate for the load. In an electric forklift, the large lead-acid battery itself may serve as a counterweight
The mast, which is the vertical assembly that does the work of raising, lowering, and tilting the load; the mast is hydraulically operated and consists of a cylinder and interlocking rails for lifting and lowering operations and for lateral stability
The carriage, which comprises flat metal plate(s) and is moved along the mast by means of chains
Forks, which are the L-shaped members that engage the load. The back vertical portion of the fork attaches to the carriage by means of a hook or latch; the front horizontal portion is inserted into or under the load, usually on a pallet. Alternatively, a variety of other equipment is available, including slipsheet clamps, carton clamps, carpet rams, pole handlers, and others.
The load back rest, which is a rack-like extension attached to the carriage to prevent the load from shifting backward
The driver's overhead guard, which is a metal roof, supported by posts, that helps protect the operator from any falling objects
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Control and capability
Forklift trucks are available in many variations and load capacities. In a typical warehouse setting most forklifts used have load capacities of around one to five tons.
In addition to a control to raise and lower the forks (also known as blades or tines), the operator can tilt the mast to compensate for a load's tendency to angle the blades toward the ground and risk slipping off the forks. Tilt also provides a limited ability to operate on non-level ground. Some machines also allow the operator to move the tines and backrest laterally, allowing easier placement of a load. In addition, a few machines offer a hydraulic control to move the tines together or apart, removing the need for the operator to get out of the cab to manually adjust for a differently sized load.
Grab attachments for handling barrels or even kegs also have a control to operate the tongs that grab the load.
In some locations(such as carpet warehouses) a long metal pole is used instead of forks to lift large rolls.
Forklift safety
Forklifts are rated for loads at a specified maximum weight and a specified forward center of gravity. This information is located on a nameplate provided by the manufacturer, and loads must not exceed these specifications.
An important aspect of forklift operation is its rear-wheel steering. While this increases maneuverability in tight cornering situations, it differs from a driver's traditional experience with other wheeled vehicles as there is no caster action; indeed it is necessary to apply steering force to maintain a straight ahead course. These effects are observable when driving a car or other vehicle in reverse.
Another critical characteristic of the forklift is its instability; the forklift and load must be considered a unit, with a continually varying center of gravity with every movement of the load. A forklift must never negotiate a turn at speed with a raised load, where centrifugal and gravitational forces may combine to cause a disastrous tipover accident. A forklift must not be used as a personnel elevator without the fitting of specific safety equipment. In the U.S., additional safety considerations are detailed in the applicable OSHA rules, and lift truck operators must be trained and certified.
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The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/forklifts). 12/27/05 Modified by Apparel Search. |
The counterbalance truck described in the definition is the general-purpose machine, powered by an electric battery for indoor work or by gas, diesel or propane where heavier loads and outdoor yards demand it. Around it has grown a family of specialized trucks. Reach trucks extend their forks into high racking in narrow aisles; order pickers lift the operator with the forks to pick individual cartons; pallet jacks — hand or powered — move pallets at floor level where a full forklift is unnecessary; and clamp trucks grip loads such as fabric rolls or bales without pallets. Choosing among them is a matter of aisle width, rack height, load weight and how the building's racking, defined in this warehouse section, is laid out.
The forklift and the pallet evolved together: the standard pallet's gaps exist precisely so forks can enter, and the pallet size charts elsewhere on this site reflect the trucks that handle them. Loads are judged by weight and center of gravity; a tall stack of light apparel cartons can be more treacherous than a compact heavy pallet because it can shift or topple when the truck turns. Safety practice follows from that physics — travel with the load low and tilted back, never raise a load to travel, sound the horn at intersections, and keep pedestrians in marked lanes. In an industry whose goods are soft and light, it is easy to forget that the machinery moving them is industrial equipment; the definition's plain wording — a powered industrial truck for hoisting and transporting materials — is the right reminder.
A forklift is a powered industrial truck with two steel forks at the front that slide under a load — usually a pallet — lift it hydraulically and carry it. A counterweight at the rear balances the load so the truck can raise heavy goods to stack them in racking.
They unload inbound cartons from trailers and containers, move pallets to racking, retrieve stock for processing and shipping, and load outbound trailers. Almost every pallet of apparel in a distribution center is lifted by a forklift several times.
Only trained, authorized operators. Forklifts are heavy, their loads can fall, and their rear-swing turning makes them dangerous around pedestrians, so warehouses enforce operator training, speed limits, marked walkways and daily pre-use inspections.