Forklift Parts in More Detail
A forklift is constructed from many components. The main parts that make up a forklift truck are the frame of the truck, the engine parts, the overhead guard, the tilt cylinders and the wheels. Furthermore, a forklift consists of various types of attachments. All the components that make up a forklift are all important because they work together to make the functions of the equipment possible. The subsequent paragraphs describe some of the forklift parts in detail.
The Overhead Guard - The overhead guard is really the lift truck's metal roof, that sits atop the operator cab. It's job is to protect the operator while they are using the equipment. The overhead guard makes sure that nothing falling from above onto the truck will hurt the operator or damage the controls inside the cab. The overhead guard is essential to the frame assembly on some models.
The Mast - Mounted either to the forklift frame or the front axle, the mast is the vertical lift truck part made of interlocking rails. The mast enables the forks to move up and down while providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails can either have bushings or bushings as guides. There are a couple of ways the mast can be operated: chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor or hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders.
Lift Truck Carriage - the forks and other kinds of attachments are mounted to the carriage. The carriage is connected to the mast directly to the hydraulic cylinder or it is attached by chains. In order to allow the forks to be raised and lowered, the carriage could have either bushings or rollers to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - a back rest is a metal rack that prevents a load from falling backwards while the carriage is lifted to its full height. The back rest is either welded or bolted on to the carriage.
Forklift Attachments - There are many kinds of attachments that can be fixed directly to the lift truck's carriage. Forks are the most common attachment. Moreover, there are L-shaped members, rollers, rotators, roll clamps, pole handlers and so on. These various attachments are really handy for transporting various kinds of loads.