Since its introduction during the early 1920s, the lift truck has become an invaluable piece of equipment found in many warehousing and industrial operations. Clark, amongst the pioneers of the first forklift, has grown to become a leader within the material handling industry and still remains a leading supplier. Other well-known names in the making of these equipment comprise: Mitsubishi, Cat, Toyota, Hyster, Nissan and Yale.
Hyster has grown to become among the most popular units of forklifts in the industry. As a matter of fact, in several places, the word "Hyster" is synonymous with forklift. Various other names for this industrial lifting machines comprise: stacker truck, fork truck, lift truck, jitney and high/low.
It was during the 19th century that the equipment ancestors of the forklift was first developed. At this time, battery-powered, small models were invented for the purpose of transporting traveler's luggage at the Altoona train station within Pennsylvania. In WWI, several different kinds were made within England specially to be utilized in the material handling industry. These equipment evolved as a solution to the manpower shortage at that time.
The modern equivalents come in a variety of sizes and configurations. There are the big truck-mounted forklift models that are also referred to as sod loaders and then the opposite end of the spectrum has small hand truck models. There are also a line of automated versions referred to as forklift automated guided vehicles which are basically robotic in nature. These models were developed to improve productivity and as a way of lowering operational expenses.
Attachments have been made to fit onto numerous common forklifts, giving them the capability of performing a wider selection of tasks. The motors can be IC or internal combustion units, running on diesel, gasoline or propane, or there are battery operated options which need regular charging. Typical warehouse models will normally be rated to lift between about 1 and 5 tons.
Since their evolution, forklifts have become a priceless component of the material handling industry. Thousands of these units are utilized on a daily basis throughout the globe to complete tasks that used to require much more man-power. Operators have to take stringent training courses so as to operate these heavy machinery safely and legally. A lot of employees have longer careers now and better overall health due to their not having to lift objects by hand anymore as the forklifts could handle those situations now instead.