Forklifts/
Pallet Trucks
A pallet truck is a type of forklift truck that is specifically designed to engage, lift and transfer loaded pallets within storage, warehouse, distribution and manufacturing settings. Industries that benefit from using pallet trucks include industrial manufacturing, material handling, construction, food and beverage, cosmetics, paper, pharmaceutical and chemicals. Using a pallet truck in most industrial or commercial situations improves storage potential, reduces risk of injury and cuts stocking time. As cost-effective transport solutions, lift trucks are also highly versatile and can be made with adjustable forks to fit a wide range of pallet designs. A few common pallet truck features include tilting and rotating frames and wheels to increase the vehicles' overall maneuverability and efficiency. Some wheels also may be fitted with stabilizing outriggers. The pallet trucks themselves may have safety rails installed around the lifting fork to minimize the risk of a load sliding or falling off. Safety features, such as flashing lights or audible sirens, are common features which help keep co-workers aware of the vehicles' movement and presence in order to avoid injury and product loss.
There are two basic types of pallet trucks: hand pallet trucks, also known as hand pallet jacks, and electric pallet trucks. Hand pallet trucks are manually powered; either by hand or by walking behind. The front wheels of the hand pallet truck are mounted underneath the ends of the forks inside of a base. A handle is attached to the base to allow for steering and powering. When the hand pallet truck is manually powered and raised, the forks are lifted up until the pallet load is able to clear the floor for travel. Electric forklift trucks are designed with either internal combustion engines or electric motors. Typically hydraulically motorized, some companies have developed electric actuator controlled electric pallet trucks. Electric pallet trucks consist of the same basic design, but generally have an additional platform for the user to stand on. Moved by a throttle on the handle, electric pallet trucks are steered by turning the handle in the desired direction and are equipped with brakes or a dead man's switch, a switch that automatically turns off the machine if the operator is incapacitated. The heaviness and bulk of the load typically determines which type of pallet truck should be used. Some pallet truck limitations include: inability to use reversible pallets, only enables two-way entry although some pallets require four-way entry such as four-way notched-stringer pallets and limited weight capacity.
