Forklift Attachments Phoenix - Without forklift attachments, many jobs would be difficult, if not impossible. Forklift attachments make many jobs safer, easier and quicker to complete. Besides regular forklift training, operators also need to undergo proper training for every attachment they will be using.
Forklift attachments come in a wide variety of hydraulic and non-hydraulic attachments. The benefits of utilizing a forklift attachment include decreasing:
1. Employee accidents;
2. Damage to stock;
3. Manpower;
4. Time; and
5. Fuel consumption.
Equipment Considerations
Forklift attachments can be switched out to replace existing attachments or may be used on machines that don’t currently have one. Several equipment-related factors must be considered before any forklift attachment is replaced or added. These considerations include:
1. The forklift type;
2. The forklift’s capacity;
3. The carriage type; and
4. The number of hydraulic functions.
Not considering these issues will drastically increase the safety risks associated with operating the machine and its attachments. This can increase risks relating to operator safety, forklift damage, stock damage and more. There are further safety issues to take into consideration which can be discussed in more detail below.
Forklift Rating and Re-Rating
Manufacturers give forklifts a lift capacity rating that needs to be considered and adjusted when adding or changing forklift attachments. Online calculators are available from manufacturers of forklift attachment’s to provide estimates on every attachments’ lifting capacity. It is important to note that only the forklift manufacturer can provide accurate lifting capacities.
The first step before installing any attachment is to get in touch with the authorized local forklift dealer to request that that forklift brand is re-rated accordingly with the attachment. Once the forklift manufacturer has re-rated the machine, it will ideally have a new specification plate that is factory authorized. The upgraded specification plate replaces the original plate and needs to be installed with the new forklift rating showing.
Equipment Upgrades
Forklift attachments rely on the machine’s hydraulic function and are made up of a forklift valve that has a lever situated close to the operator. This creates two passages of pressurized hydraulic oil for powering the attachment features. Note that not every attachment is hydraulic; however, the hydraulic attachments provide more features compared to the number of valves the forklift offers. In this circumstance, it is common to add one or more valves as needed. There are numerous ways a valve can be added. The manufacturers of forklifts create accessories to simplify hose and valve routing. Due to the cost of labor and parts required, this process may not be practical. Another possibility is to install a cable reel, solenoid valve and hose to divert oil from an alternate location. However, the operators’ view may be compromised due to the cable reels and hose installation. These parts also may be easily damaged by their location. Kits are available that rely on a solenoid valve and certain hoses to transform the reinforced braid to additionally function as an electrical conduit. Since these hoses replace existing forklift hoses, they remain safe from external damage while maintaining clear vision for the operator.
Safety Considerations
Before using any type of forklift attachment, adequate training must be fulfilled. Operators need to be competent with removing, operating and fitting the attachment before using it.
Before using any forklift attachment, two safety issues need consideration.
First, any attachment on a forklift will reduce its nominal load rating, as mentioned above. The nominal load rating is determined with forks and a stock fork carriage. It is important to note that the real load rating may be significantly lower.
Using any type of forklift attachment will affect the center of gravity on the machine. The forklift’s stability will be reduced and this needs to be computed for safety. Because the weight of the attachment will be placed in front of the forklift’s fulcrum point, it is necessary to drive the forklift as though it is partially loaded, even prior to picking up a load. It is essential that operators travel slowly and make gentle turns when using any kind of forklift attachment. Every attachment should be listed on the forklift capacity data plate.
To maintain safety, special checks need to be completed before using any forklift attachment. The forklift attachment needs to be the right one for the type of forklift being used, appropriate for the load at hand, correctly attached, locked in place and permitted on the data plate of the forklift.
List of Common Forklift Attachments
A list of the most common attachments and their general uses are set out below. This is just a sample list of some of the most popular forklift attachments. Forklift attachments are designed to increase job efficiency for many applications.
SIDESHIFTER:
Allows the operator to move the forks laterally, allowing for easier placement of a load without the need to reposition the entire forklift.
FORK POSITIONERS:
Fork positioners allow the forks to travel apart or together with each other to adjust for different load sizes.
DIMENSIONING DEVICES:
Dimensioning devices feature cargo dimensions useful for creating better efficiency in trucks, trailers and warehouses. This technology is often used alongside billing systems that monitor volume.
ROTATOR:
A rotator helps to straighten tilted skids and handle custom load requirements and fast unloading. There is a rotator feature on numerous attachments.
ROLL AND BARREL CLAMP:
The roll and barrel clamp simplifies grasping rounded loads such as barrels. It has numerous pressure settings for handling fragile items with less damage potential. This attachment often has a rotate function to change the load from a vertical to a horizontal position.
CARTON AND MULTIPURPOSE CLAMP:
Allows for grasping a load with a more squared shape, often with pressure settings. Products like cartons, boxes and bales can be moved with this type of attachment.
POLE ATTACHMENTS:
Long, metal pole used in place of forks to lift rolled items such as carpet or linoleum.
SLIP SHEETER OR PUSH-PULL:
Allows operator to transport slip sheets by clamping onto slip sheets, as opposed to pallets, and either pulling the slip sheet onto wide and thin metal forks for loading or pushing the slip sheet to unload. Some variations of the attachment are Save, where the slip sheet is removed for reuse, or Standard.
DRUM HANDLER:
The drum handler is specifically designed to transport drums. It might feature arms to hold the drum or be a spring-loaded model to grip the top lid.
DRUM AND STORAGE BIN TIPPER:
The drum and storage bin tipper helps to transfer loose or liquid items into other containers.
MAN BASKET:
The man basket is a lift platform to allow workers to complete jobs with brackets and railings and safety harnesses.
TELESCOPIC FORKS:
Allows operation in a warehouse using two pallet stacking where one shelf is placed directly behind another with no aisle between the two.
SCALES:
Enables operators to simultaneously weigh and transport pallets, eliminating the need to interrupt transport to travel to scales, and can be obtained in legal-for-trade weights for operations that bill by weight.
SINGLE-DOUBLE FORKS:
Allow movement of a single pallet or platform or two pallets side by side. With the correct attachment/s a single forklift can be used for multiple specialist materials handling tasks alongside normal lifting tasks, thus reducing the need for owning a specialist unit alongside a normal unit and the larger running and maintenance costs associated with multiple units.
SNOW PLOW:
Snow plows are used to remove snow and redistribute it; however, this attachment can be used with other loose kinds of material.
SKIPS:
Allows safe and speedy removal of waste to the appropriate skip or waste compactor. Skips are available in a roll-forward type and a bottom-emptying type.
BOOMS AND JIBS:
Booms and jibs allow forklifts extended reach. They are available to transport deep or highly stacked loads, suspended loads and more. These attachments can be low profile, precision lifting or reach over models to facilitate extended lengths.
Forklift Attachment PDF
