Forklifts were introduced onto the market during the start of the 20th Century. These machinery have played a hugely powerful role within the recycling industry and have also changed the material handling industry. The considerations for safe operation, the forklift's evolution and the various different kinds are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
Powered industrial trucks are also called forklifts and lift trucks, were first introduced and invented during the late 19th Century. These first models were low lift trucks which were capable of raising platforms only a few inches high. Normally, these kinds of machinery were used for moving supplies in a shop, like work-in-progress situations. In the late 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and truck design enhancements began to take root from there. The tier trucks ultimately developed and this allowed for better stacking of loads and storage efficiency.
In the 1930s, there were some extremely tough economic times. However, in this time, labor was freely available but money for investment was increasingly more difficult to come by. This situation significantly slowed the growth of lift truck usage.
Lift trucks became a very strategic part of the the second World War war effort since the vast shortages in manpower in that time occurred as a resulting of enlistment of thousands of men. It was discovered that its driver and the forklift can handle the work of many men and were very productive. As the War continued, many women drivers filled the many demands. When the war was over, forklifts became a mainstay of the material handling business. They were utilized a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Some of the leftover pallets and forklifts in Australia left behind by the United States Military became the basis for the Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool or CHEP, who today is referred to as the world's biggest pallet pooling business.
Diesel/Gasoline
Diesel and gasoline engines have numerous benefits. They are readily available around 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 main disadvantages of diesel and gasoline units include: they need a lot more maintenance than electric units, because of the emissions they release, they are not appropriate to be used inside, there is some difficulty and cost connected to fluid and oil disposal and they require a re-fueling post on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.