Since its introduction during the early 1920s, the lift truck has become an invaluable piece of machine found in many warehousing and industrial operations. Clark, one of 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 making of these equipment include: Hyster, Nissan, Yale Mitsubishi, Cat and Toyota.
Hyster has grown to become among the most popular models of lift trucks in the business. As a matter of fact, in some places, the word "Hyster" is synonymous with forklift. Different other names for this industrial lifting equipment include: lift truck, jitney, high/low, fork truck and stacker truck.
It was in the 19th century that the machine ancestors of the forklift was initially developed. At this time, battery-powered, small units were made for the purpose of moving traveler's baggage at the Altoona train station in Pennsylvania. In the First World War, several different types were developed in England specifically for use in the material handling business. These machines evolved as a solution to the manpower shortage at that time.
The modern equivalents come in a range of configurations and sizes. There are the large truck-mounted lift truck models which are also known as sod loaders and then the opposite end of the spectrum has small hand truck models. There are also a line of automated versions known as forklift automated guided vehicles that are basically robotic in nature. These units were made as a means of lowering operational costs and to improve production.
A regular forklift is able to utilize a huge array of attachments which are capable of being added for a range of particular functions. The motors could be IC or internal combustion models, running on gasoline, propane or diesel, or there are battery operated options that need regular charging. Standard warehouse models will usually be rated to lift between roughly 1 and 5 tons.
Ever since their evolution, forklifts have become a priceless component of the material handling industry. Many of these models are utilized each and every day throughout the world to complete jobs that used to require much more man-power. Operators need to take stringent training courses in order to legally and safely run these heavy machines. Numerous workers have longer careers now and better health overall due to their not having to lift objects manually anymore since the forklifts could handle those situations now instead.