You'll notice a range of different mechanisms which raise or lower lifts on a forklift: scissors lifts, rack and pinion lifts, telescoping lifts, screw lifts and articulated lifts. Scissor lifts use crisscrossed folding supports with a screw mechanism used to draw the members together. Rack and pinion lifts use a pinion, that is a small drive gear, to drive a straight-toothed rack to lift the load. The telescoping lift mechanism is made with multiple parts which retract and extend out of and into each other to achieve lifting action. Screw lifts utilize threads to raise the lift. Articulated lifts use a mechanism involving multiple parts that articulate or unfold. An example of an articulated lift is the "cherry picker."
Lift truck Material Handling
There are numerous reasons to keep up with changes in material handling processes. Material handling tools and the processes could be utilized to handle additional SKUs, increased geographical coverage, and the need to lower inventories. Machines that are well ahead of the technological curve could help productivity maximization and increase profitability.
Lift truck Battery & Charging Technology
The decision to convert from traditional, internal combustion forklifts to electric lift trucks is a wise one since the latest series of electric lift trucks provide longer run-times and higher capacities than ever before. Battery and charger combinations are offering much more power for much longer periods than older systems can achieve. Improvements in battery and charger technologies are not only making electric lift trucks more productive but they are making it possible to have more environmentally friendly warehouse operations.
The electric powered equipment utilize Lithium-Ion Batteries or Li-ion batteries. The Li-ion batteries show remarkable promise, but this technology is still somewhat new. They are not just smaller but are capable of holding up to six times the charge of traditional lead acid batteries. Li-ion batteries have very low maintenance requirements and are able to maximize opportunity charging through zero memory technology.