It was in the start of the 20th Century when the very first forklifts were introduced. These machines over the past 90 plus years has changed the material handling business and even the recycling industry. The considerations for safe use, the lift truck's evolution and the various different kinds are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
These powered industrial trucks, also referred to as lift trucks and forklifts, were created and introduced to the market during the latter part of the 19th century. Initially, these models were low lift trucks that were just capable of raising platforms several inches from the ground. Normally, these kinds of machinery were utilized for transporting material inside a shop, such as work-in-progress situations. In the late 1910s, high lift trucks initially emerged and truck design improvements started to take root from there. The tier trucks eventually developed and this allowed for better stacking of loads and storage efficiency.
During the 1930s, there were some extremely hard economic times. Then again, in this particular period, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation greatly slowed the growth of forklift usage.
In World War II, lift trucks became a strategic part of the war effort. During that period, vast shortages in manpower occurred resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was found that a lift truck and its operator were extremely productive and could handle the work of many men. As the War progressed, lots of women operators filled the numerous demands. When the war was over, lift trucks became a mainstay of the material handling business. They were used a lot in the Pacific war efforts. A few of the leftover pallets and lift trucks in Australia left behind by the United States Military became the basis for the CHEP or Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool, who today is referred to as the largest pallet pooling business in the globe.
Diesel/Gasoline
There are many benefits to utilizing a diesel or gas powered engine. They are readily available around the world; they are suitable for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and numerous operators are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the gas and diesel engines drawbacks comprise: they require a lot more maintenance than electric models, because of the emissions they release, they are not suitable to be used indoors, there is some difficulty and cost associated to fluid and oil disposal and they need a re-fueling post on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.