Forklifts were launched onto the market in the start of the 20th Century. These machines have played a hugely powerful role within the recycling business and have also changed the material handling business. The factors for safe utilization, the forklift's evolution and the many different types are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
These powered industrial trucks, also referred to as forklifts and lift trucks, were invented and launched to the market during the latter part of the 19th century. Originally, these units were low lift trucks that were just capable of raising platforms several inches from the ground. Generally, these kinds of machines were used for moving supplies inside a store, such as work-in-progress situations. In the latter part of 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and truck design enhancements began to take root from there. The tier trucks eventually developed and this allowed for better stacking of loads and storage efficiency.
In the 1930s, there were some really difficult economic times. Nevertheless, during this specific time, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation significantly slowed the growth of forklift usage.
In WWII, 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 could deal with the work of many men and were really productive. As the War progressed, lots of women drivers 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. Some of the leftover pallets and forklifts within Australia left behind by the U.S. Military became the basis for the Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool or CHEP, who today is referred to as the world's largest pallet pooling company.
Diesel/Gasoline
Gasoline and diesel engines have a lot of advantages. They are always available around the globe; they are great for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and many operators are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the main drawbacks of gasoline and diesel units include: they need much more maintenance than electric units, because of the emissions they release, they are not suitable for indoor applications, there is some cost and difficulty associated to disposal of fluid and oil and they require a re-fueling post on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.