Counterbalance forklifts are essentially forklifts which are designed with counterweight at the back of the machinery. The counterweight works to balance the weight which the tines are carrying at the front of the load. This design is engineered to stabilize conventional forklifts. As far as electric counterbalance forklifts are concerned, the battery itself forms the counterweight.
Practically every lift truck manufacturer would have in their product range, a counterbalance forklift. These equipment will come in a huge range of fuel sources, configurations, and sizes. These forklifts could with solid or pneumatic tires. They could operate in diverse applications. These lift trucks are outfitted with a variety of accessories. Common options and attachments include: hydraulic clamps, side shifts, fork shifts and slip sheet attachments just to mention a few.
Counterbalance lift trucks have changed the material handling industry. They have become the cornerstone of storage and distribution systems where they perform stacking, loading, unloading and horizontal transport functions. The average warehouse forklifts are typically used for lift heights less than 6 meters or 20 feet. There have been some recently designed models which are capable of lifting to heights 9.5 meters or 31 feet. The smaller 4000 pound or 1-1.8 ton forklifts are the main workhorses within most warehouses. These are the most common models that most small companies will own. The typical warehouse counterbalance forklift is really a wide-aisle truck which requires approximately 3 meters or 11 feet to turn in.
Counterbalance forklifts are not necessarily confined to the warehouse. They are often used for carrying containers and heavy use along with pretty much every application in between. Counterbalance forklifts are the most widely utilized and versatile of all materials handling equipment.
Due to their durability and versatility, counterbalance forklifts are commonplace in a huge range of working environments, including production, retail and warehousing. Some of the industrial use consist of: timber, automotive, chemical and food industries.