Since its introduction during the early 1920s, the forklift has become an invaluable piece of machine found in numerous industrial operations and warehousing. Clark, one of the pioneers of the very first lift truck, has grown to become a leader in the material handling industry and still remains a leading supplier. Various other well-known names in the making of these machinery consist of: Cat, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Hyster, Nissan and Yale.
The Hyster brand of lift truck has become amongst the industries most popular manufacturers. In fact, in several regions, the word "Hyster" is synonymous with forklift. Other common names for this industrial lifting equipment include: stacker truck, fork truck, high/low, lift truck and jitney.
The ancestor of today's machinery was first developed during the early 19th century. At this time, battery-powered, small models were made for the purpose of transporting traveler's baggage at the Altoona train station in Pennsylvania. In WWI, various types were made within England particularly for use in the material handling industry. These machinery evolved as a solution to the manpower shortage at that time.
Today's machines come in many sizes and configurations. Sod loaders are large truck-mounted lift truck models and several of the bigger machinery, while the smaller machinery consist of hand truck units. There are also a line of automated versions referred to as forklift automated guided vehicles which are basically robotic in nature. These units were developed as a means of lowering operational expenses and to improve productivity.
A regular forklift is able to utilize a wide array of attachments which are capable of being added for a variety of specific functions. The motors could be IC or internal combustion models, working on gasoline, propane or diesel, or there are battery operated options that need regular charging. Standard warehouse models will normally be rated to raise between roughly 1 and 5 tons.
Since their evolution, lift trucks have become a priceless component of the material handling business. Thousands of these units are used each day throughout the globe to perform tasks that used to require a lot more man-power. Operators have to take stringent training programs in order to safely and legally run these heavy machinery. Numerous employees have better overall health and longer careers now due to their not having to raise items manually anymore as the forklifts are capable of handling those situations now instead.