Forklift Attachments Pennsylvania - Forklift attachments make a variety of jobs possible. There are numerous forklift attachments that make jobs faster and safer to complete. In addition to general forklift training, operators must be properly training for each attachment they intent to use.
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. There are many equipment factors to consider prior to adding or replacing any forklift attachments. Considerations include the carriage type, the forklift model, the capacity of the forklift and the number of hydraulic functions used to power the features of the attachment.
Failure to properly consider these factors will increase the safety risk associated with operation of a forklift and its attachments and increase the risk for damage to the forklift, the attachment and surrounding area, including stock. 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. Accurate lifting capacities are only available from the forklift manufacturers.
Before installing any kind of attachment, it is essential to contact the local authorized forklift dealer of the particular forklift brand to request that they rate the machine accordingly with the attachment being used. There will be a new specification plate that is factory authorized once the forklift manufacturer has re-rated the machine. This new specification plate will replace the original plate and should be installed showing the new rating for the forklift.
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 these instances, one or more valves need to be added. There are several methods of adding a valve. 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. Alternative methods include adding a solenoid valve in conjunction with a hose or cable reel that diverts oil flow from an existing function. The main issue is that the cable reels and hose may block the view of the operator and these items can be damaged. There are kits available that use a solenoid valve and specialty hoses that allow for the reinforced braid to double 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
Before using any type of forklift attachment, adequate training must be fulfilled. An operator must be competent in the fitting, operating and removal of the attachment.
Two important safety factors must be considered before the use of any forklift attachment.
The nominal load rating will be reduced on the forklift once any attachment is applied. The nominal load rating is computed with a stock fork carriage and forks. However, the actual load rating may be substantially lower.
Using any type of forklift attachment will affect the center of gravity on the machine. Obviously, the stability of the forklift is reduced. Due to the attachment weight being situated in front of the fulcrum point, the forklift needs to be driven as though it is partially loaded even when it is empty. Operators need to travel gently and slowly every time they use an attachment and take extra care while turning. Every attachment should be listed on the forklift capacity data plate.
Specific safety checks must be made prior to using each forklift attachment. The attachment must be:
1. Appropriate for the specific forklift being used;
2. Appropriate for the specific load;
3. Attached correctly;
4. Properly locked; and
5. Permitted on the forklift’s data plate.
List of Common Forklift Attachments
A list of the most common attachments and their general uses are set out below. There are numerous forklift attachments and this list will cover the most popular. Forklift attachments are designed to increase job efficiency for many applications.
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:
Moves the forks together or apart in relation to one another to adjust for various load types.
DIMENSIONING DEVICES:
Provide dimensions for the cargo allowing for more efficient use of warehouse and truck trailer space and often used in conjunction with billing systems based on volume.
ROTATOR:
A rotator helps to straighten tilted skids and handle custom load requirements and fast unloading. Numerous attachments have a rotator feature.
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:
Pole attachments are placed where the forks would normally be and are used for transporting carpet and rolled up linoleum.
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:
The drum handler is built for holding drums. It may have arms that encompass the drum for transporting or it may feature a spring-loaded jaw to grip the drum’s top lip.
DRUM AND STORAGE BIN TIPPER:
The drum and storage bin tipper helps to transfer loose or liquid items into other containers.
MAN BASKET:
Lift platform meant for lifting workers and complete with railings and brackets for safety harnesses.
TELESCOPIC FORKS:
The telescopic forks are used in locations with a two pallet stacking design were one shelf is placed right behind another with no aisle between them.
SCALES:
Scales are helpful for allowing operators to transport pallets while weighing them. This stops the need for interrupting work with regular travel to the scales. It can be used in legal-for-trade weights for operations that bill by how much items weigh.
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:
Skips enable quick and safe waste removal to a skip or waste compactor. They may feature a bottom-emptying design or be a roll-forward model.
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
