Forklift Parts in More Detail
A lift truck is made of many parts. The key components that make up a forklift truck are the truck frame, the engine parts, the overhead guard, the wheels and the tilt cylinders. Moreover, a forklift has various types of attachments. All the parts which make up a lift truck are all essential since they work together to make the equipment's operation possible. The following paragraphs describe in detail several of the forklift components.
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 whilst they are using the machinery. The overhead guard ensures that nothing falling from above onto the truck will hurt the operator or damage the controls inside the cab. The overhead guard is integral to the frame assembly on various units.
The Mast - the mast is a vertical assembly made of interlocking rails and mounted either to the front axle or the forklift frame. The mast provides lateral stability and enables the forks to move upwards and down. The interlocking rails could either have bushings or bushings as guides. There are two ways the mast could be operated: hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders or chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor.
Forklift Carriage - the forks and other types of attachments are mounted to the carriage. The carriage is attached to the mast directly to the hydraulic cylinder or it is attached by chains. 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 - When the carriage is raised to full height, there is a back rest made of metal which prevents a load from falling backwards. The back rest is either welded or bolted on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - a variety of attachments can be fixed to the front of the lift truck. The most common type of attachment is forks. Also, there are rollers, rotators, L-shaped members, roll clamps, pole handlers and and all that. These different types of attachments are helpful for transporting different kinds of loads.