Approximately 60 percent of the lift truck market is made up by electric lift truck models. These models derive their power from huge, heavy lead-acid batteries which that prevents the equipment from tipping over as it gives it the counterweight.
The ITA states that electric counterbalanced forklifts are considered Class 1 lift trucks. The category of Class1 also encompasses stand-up counterbalanced trucks as well as other electric trucks that are designed for general application. Though the first investment when purchasing an electric lift truck is more as opposed to an IC or internal combustion lift truck, electric forklifts are less costly to operate and run in the long-run. This is because of lesser fuel and maintenance expenses, in comparison to the internal combustion models.
The majority of the electric rider forklift trucks shipped within North America is designed for transporting material inside. They are usually used in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric models are the right choice for inside applications since they emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
In addition, electric lift truck could normally work a complete 8 hour shift on a single battery charge. Reloading, recharging and removing batteries, that roughly weigh around 3000 lbs. could be time consuming and hard. This cumbersome job often needs a dedicated space for battery handling. However, new fast charging technologies are being used to change the procedure and update this process to be able to complete it in a much quicker method.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has revolutionized electric unit forklifts and the charging time of their batteries. The material handling industry experts, state that these new developments within the battery technology and battery charging systems can lessen charging time by up to 50%!
IC Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
Internal combustion lift trucks rely on a variety of different types of fuels, like liquid propane gas or LPG, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The bigger forklifts are commonly utilized outside. Usually, these models are diesel or gas powered and utilizes air-filled or pneumatic tires so as to make them suitable for steep inclines and rough environment, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for smooth services and indoor use because they are made from solid rubber.
The most common fuel option for indoor trucks is LPG. There are more than 600,000 propane-filled forklifts today which are operating in DCs and within warehouses. These units provide various benefits. Like for example, propane-fueled forklifts maintain 100% constant power during operation. What's more, these units offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.