It was in the start of the 20th Century when the very first forklifts were introduced. These equipment over the past 90 plus years has changed the material handling industries and even the recycling business. The factors for safe utilization, the forklift's evolution and the various different types are discussed below.
History of Forklifts
Powered industrial trucks are also called forklifts and lift trucks, were originally introduced and created during the late 19th Century. These first models were low lift trucks which were capable of raising platforms only several inches high. Usually, these types of machinery were utilized for transporting supplies in a store, like work-in-progress situations. During the latter part of 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and enhancements in truck design started to take root from there. The tier trucks eventually developed and this allowed for greater stacking of loads and storage efficiency.
There were really difficult economic times in the 1930s. However, in this particular period, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation significantly slowed the growth of forklift usage.
During the second World War, forklifts became a strategic part of the war effort. In that era, vast shortages in manpower happened resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was discovered that its operator and the forklift were really productive and can handle the work of many men. As the War continued, numerous women operators filled the numerous 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. A few of the leftover pallets and forklifts within 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
There are many advantages to using a diesel or gas powered engine. They are readily available around the world; they deliver consistent power throughout the shift, they are perfect for heavy duty workloads and a lot of drivers are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the diesel and gas engines disadvantages comprise: they need much more maintenance compared to electric units, due to the emissions they release, they are not appropriate to be utilized indoors, there is some difficulty and cost connected to disposal of fluid and oil and they require a re-fueling station on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.