Since its introduction during the early 1920s, the forklift has become an important piece of equipment found in numerous industrial operations and warehousing. Clark, amongst the pioneers of the very first forklift, has grown to become a leader in the material handling industry and still remains a top supplier. Other popular names in the manufacturing of these machines comprise: Nissan, Yale, Hyster Mitsubishi, Cat and Toyota.
Hyster has grown to become one of the most popular models of lift trucks within the business. In fact, in several places, the word "Hyster" is synonymous with forklift. Different other names for this industrial lifting machinery consist of: stacker truck, fork truck, high/low, lift truck and jitney.
The ancestor of today's machines was first developed during the early part of the 19th century. At this time, small, battery-powered models were made for the purpose of moving traveler's luggage within Pennsylvania at the Altoona train station. In the First World War, several different types were developed in England specially to be utilized in the material handling business. These machines evolved as a solution to the lack of manpower at that time.
The modern equivalents come in a range of sizes and configurations. There are the large truck-mounted forklift models which are also referred to as sod loaders and then the opposite end of the spectrum has small hand truck units. There are also a line of automated versions known as forklift automated guided vehicles which are basically robotic in nature. These units were made as a way of lowering operational costs and to improve production.
Attachments have been made to fit onto numerous regular forklifts, giving them the capability of performing a wider selection of tasks. The motors could be IC or internal combustion models, running on diesel, gasoline or propane, or there are battery operated options which require regular charging. Standard warehouse models will normally be rated to lift 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 every day all over the world to complete tasks that used to need a lot more man-power. Operators should take stringent training programs so as to operate these heavy equipment safely and legally. Numerous employees have better health overall and longer careers now due to their not having to raise objects manually anymore because the forklifts are capable of handling those situations now instead.