Forklift Attachments Louisiana - Without forklift attachments, many jobs would be difficult, if not impossible. The wide range of forklift attachments make most jobs not only possible but also safer and quicker. In addition to general forklift training, operators must be properly training for each attachment they intent to use.
There are many non-hydraulic attachments and hydraulic attachments available for forklift attachments. They provide many benefits including decreasing fuel consumption, time, man-power, damage to stock and employee accidents.
Equipment Considerations
A forklift attachment can replace an existing forklift attachment or can be added to a forklift that does not already 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.
Failing to take these aforementioned factors into consideration can create extra safety hazards and risks for the operator, the forklift, its’ attachments and the stock. Extra safety factors must be considered which will be discussed in more detail.
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. Manufacturers of forklift attachments usually offer calculators available online to estimate the safe lifting capacity when using a particular attachment. 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. There will be a new specification plate that is factory authorized once the forklift manufacturer has re-rated the machine. 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. Hydraulic forklift attachments typically offer numerous features compared to the number of valves on the forklift. Not ever forklift attachment is hydraulic. When this happens, the forklift needs to have one or more valves added. There are numerous ways a valve can be added. There are many ways to add a forklift valve.Equipment manufacturers make forklift accessories for hose routing and valve placement. However, the parts and labor to install these can be so expensive as to make this option impractical. Other options include adding a cable reel and a hose in conjunction with a solenoid valve to divert oil from an existing location. The main issue is that the cable reels and hose may block the view of the operator and these items can be damaged. Kits are available that rely on a solenoid valve and certain hoses to transform the reinforced braid to additionally function as an electrical conduit. Because these hoses replace the existing hoses housed in the forklift, the hoses are safe from damage while keeping the operator’s field of vision clear.
Safety Considerations
Proper training must be obtained prior to fitting any forklift attachment. The operator needs to be able to remove, fit and operate the attachment.
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.
Second, the center of gravity will be affected by the use of any forklift attachment. This will reduce the forklift’s stability. 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. As noted above, each attachment should be listed on the data plate of the forklift’s capacity.
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
Below is a list of popular forklift attachments and their general uses. There are numerous forklift attachments and this list will cover the most popular. The variety of attachments can drastically increase efficiency for many jobs.
SIDESHIFTER:
The operator can manipulate the forks laterally with a sideshifter. This allows for easier load placement without having to move the entire forklift.
FORK POSITIONERS:
The fork positioners adjust for different loads by moving the forks together or apart in relation to each other.
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 allows the forklift to grasp rounded loads including barrels. It is outfitted with different pressure settings to facilitate fragile options and often has a rotate function to simplify horizontal and vertical positioning.
CARTON AND MULTIPURPOSE CLAMP:
The carton and multipurpose clamp has pressure settings and is used for handling more squared shaped loads. It easily masters boxes, bales and cartons.
POLE ATTACHMENTS:
Pole attachments are long metal poles in place of the forks. They are useful for picking up linoleum and rolled up carpet or similar items.
SLIP SHEETER OR PUSH-PULL:
The slip sheeter or push-pull allows the operator to move sheets by clamping onto slip sheets. This is an option instead of relying on pallets. The slip sheet can be moved onto thin and wide metal forks to simplify loading or unloading by pushing the slip sheet. The “Save” variation allows the slip sheet to be taken off for reuse later. The “Standard,” attachment variation is another option.
DRUM HANDLER:
Allows for grasping drums, either with a spring-loaded jaw to grip the top lip of a drum, or with arms that encircle the drum, for transport.
DRUM AND STORAGE BIN TIPPER:
The drum and storage bin tipper is designed for easier transport of liquid items or loose materials into bigger containers.
MAN BASKET:
The lift platform known as a man basket is designed to transport workers vertically. It is outfitted with brackets and railings to anchor safety harnesses.
TELESCOPIC FORKS:
Telescopic forks are used in warehouses that rely on stacking two pallets in the event one shelf is located behind another shelf with no aisle in between.
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:
Single-double forks facilitate movement of a single platform or pallet or two side-by-side pallets. This is useful for transporting specialty items with the right attachments employed. It can be used with normal lifting tasks and stops the need for owning two separate machines. This greatly reduces the cost of maintenance and operation that is used with multiple forklifts.
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:
Skips facilitate fast and safe removal of waste to the proper waste or skip compactor. Skips are either a bottom-emptying model or a roll-forward type.
BOOMS AND JIBS:
Allow for extended reach of a forklift to transport suspended loads or loads that are stacked high or deep. They are available in different setups such as reach over and precision lifting or low profile fixed and extendable lengths.
Forklift Attachment PDF
