Forklift, forklift, reach
Forklifts, what are they? They are machines which lift with forks — duh. Seriously though, they’re a huge class of material handling equipment used in an enormous range of industries beyond just Logistics and Construction.
Basic, primal, what-everyone-thinks-of forklifts are material handling equipment with a vertical mast which goes up and down and some forks attached to that mast for picking up unit loads (i.e. pallets)
Within this true-forklifts, you have a deeper classification between:
- Reach trucks (colloquially a Raymond Reach) where the load is balanced by wheels which extend forward of the load (in the normal position) and either the carriage or the whole boom assembly extends forward to deposit the pallet. These are further sub-classed by whether the operator walks behind (walker-stacker) or stands up (by far the default) or (very occasionally) sits. They are, within experimental error, always electric. The common control arrangement for stand-up reaches is unique in having a horizontal wheel which directly rotates the drive wheel and then a combination control stick which controls the carriage as well as forward back movement of the vehicle. These are the “indoor home depot” forklifts for most people. Reach trucks are rarely used outside.
- Counterbalance forklifts (often called tow motors) are, in general, stronger, faster, less manoeuvrable forklifts where the load is balanced by just having a large mass on the back of the forklift. They are almost always of the sit-down type with car-like steering-wheel, pedal, level style operation. They’re used as the muscle of most logistics operations. Propane, diesel, gas, and electric options all exist and are commonly used.
Off-road and ruggedized versions exist in the same basic configuration. They typically include a pin-type (tractor hitch) coupler for towing other equipment. Many people call these Hysters (for no discernable reason) - Not exactly a fork-lift (not having forks) but Skystacker style container handlers follow the basic “vertical boom” design but at an enormous scale.
A slight variation on the basic forklift anatomy is the telehandler which has an extendable boom pivoted from the rear of the vehicle with forks on the end. Telehandlers are what most people think of as “construction forklifts” and indeed are heavily used in construction settings.
Compared to vertical-mast forklifts, telehandlers are typically longer (and therefore less manoeuvrable) but, because of the extendable boom, they excel at reaching “up and out” to manoeuvre material over an obstacle or through and into an enclosed space. They’re also unique in typically being able to reach below the ground plane of the vehicle (by tilting the boom below horizontal and extending it).
Again, not an actual fork-lift, but the same anatomy at a larger scale is used for container handling in the far more common reach-stacker truck.
As a variation on the reach-style forklift, there are man-up or stock picker trucks designed to bring the operator to the work. In addition to the carriage moving up and down, the entire operator platform moves as well. This configuration allows the operator to transfer stock directly from a high location to a pallet. These are categorically operated in a stand-up fashion.
Also a variation on the reach-style, a turret truck or narrow aisle truck is designed for operation in spaces where it’s impractical to turn the entire vehicle to access pallets, instead the carriage pivots on the mast to reach side-to-side. In the vast-majority of models, the operator cabin moves up and down like a man-up to allow the operator better visibility for the working end but at the cost of visibility at floor level; to offset this, most man-up turret trucks are automatically guided down the aisle by a variety of arrangements (EM wire detection, optical markers, guide rollers, permanent rails).
Anatomically a truck-mounted (Colloquially a Moffett or Piggy-Back) lift is another type of counter-balance but they’re unique in being specifically designed to hang of the back of trucks. They’re uniquely designed to be able to apply down-ward force with the mast which is used to lift the entire vehicle up and off the ground.
A huge variety of vehicles can be pressed in to duty moving palletized loads using fork attachments. Pay loaders, loader-tractors, and mini-loaders are all commonly fitted with fork attachments but with a fork-cradle cranes can easily move unitized loads as well.
Conversely, beyond fork-lifting pallets, forklifts can be fitted with a variety of attachments to manipulate slip-sheeted loads, carry barrels and casks, grasp poles/lumber/carpets, operate as cranes, or even use a cage to maneuver people.
And finally, firmly in the category of not a forklift are the various powered and non-powered pallet movers used only to move pallets but not move them to an elevated position (e.g. pump trucks).
The history of the pallet itself and then the TEU shipping container as the next step up in unit load is interesting in it’s ability to transform society by transforming the way goods are moved.
