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| 【 Science Popularization 】 Forklift Attachments for Efficient Material Handling |
What are forklift attachments
Forklift attachments, also known as multiple devices, are tools that enable forklifts to serve multiple purposes. Currently, they are widely used in industries such as papermaking, packaging, printing, petroleum, chemical engineering, construction, metallurgy, electronics, beverages, hardware, automotive manufacturing, warehousing, and tobacco. They are highly efficient equipment for automated loading and unloading, stacking, and handling.
An important means to enhance the working efficiency and safety performance of forklifts while significantly reducing their damage is to equip forklifts with attachments. For instance, paper roll clamps can reduce the damage to paper rolls, adjustable forks enhance the convenience and safety of operation, and push-pull devices improve the efficiency of material handling at a low cost, especially in saving stacking space. Forklift attachments are crucial for bringing out the functions of forklifts.
Types of forklift attachments
In addition to using the forks as the most basic working attachments, forklifts can also be developed and equipped with various replaceable attachments according to the needs of users. In a broad sense, we classify forklift attachments into hydraulic attachments and mechanical attachments.
Hydraulic attachments: Hydraulic attachments are a type of attachment that achieves their functions through a hydraulic system. The hydraulic system utilizes the pressure energy of liquids for energy conversion and transmission, thereby driving attachments to perform various actions. Hydraulic attachments have been widely used in forklift operations due to their powerful force and precise control ability. Typical hydraulic components include side shifters, rotators, fork extenders, clamps and tilters, etc.
Mechanical attachments: Mechanical attachments are a type of attachment that relies on mechanical structures and mechanical principles to achieve their functions. They usually have a relatively simple structure and low maintenance costs, but they may not be as flexible as hydraulic attachments when handling heavy goods or tasks that require precise control. Typical mechanical components include waste clamps, bucket teeth, stone clamps and quick connectors, etc.
Forklift attachments have advantages
Compared with the traditional practice of using forklift forks to pick up goods and pallets for transfer and stacking, the application of dedicated attachments can significantly enhance the operational efficiency of forklifts and reduce operating costs. Specialized forklift attachments can perform functions such as clamping goods, rotating (clockwise/counterclockwise), side-shifting, pushing/pulling, flipping (forward/backward), separating/approaching (adjusting the distance between the forks), and elasticity, which are actions that the forks of ordinary forklifts cannot perform. The meanings reflected in the application of special attachments for forklifts can be summarized as follows:
1. High production efficiency and low operating cost
Mechanized transfer takes less time than traditional manual transfer, reduces labor costs and expenses, and improves work efficiency.
2. Safe and reliable operation, reducing the accident rate
Professional manufacturers design forklift attachments for different industry working conditions, all of which are equipped with safety devices. For instance, clamp-type attachments are equipped with pressure-holding devices to prevent goods from sliding off, and side-shifting attachments are equipped with buffer devices to ensure the stability of goods in abnormal situations and significantly reduce the risk of accidents.
3. Low loss of goods
By taking advantage of the clamping, lateral movement and rotation functions of the attachments, the transportation, stacking and loading/unloading of goods can be completed safely and efficiently, significantly reducing the loss of goods. At the same time, reduce the use of pallets (such as achieving pallet-free operations) to lower procurement and maintenance costs.
Precautions for the use of forklift attachments
The attachments are mainly composed of hydraulic cylinders, rubber hoses and other components. They need to be cleaned and maintained in accordance with standards, and attention should be paid to preventing oil leakage and rupture. When in use, it is necessary to abide by the performance parameters of the attachments, avoid overloading or uneven loading, and the short-term uneven load of medium and small tonnage forklifts should not exceed ±150mm. Forklift operation should ensure that the two forks are of equal length and parallel, follow the procedures, and avoid overloading and long-distance handling. Special items need to be directed by a dedicated person when being moved.
When using forklifts, the fork distance should be appropriate, the insertion depth should be deep, the load should be stable, and the mast can be tilted forward when loading. During operation, the forks should be driven at a low speed and the mast should be appropriately tilted backward to avoid improper operation, such as turning on slopes, using forks to flip over pallets, single-fork operation or handling dangerous goods.
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