Electric Lift Truck Specs
The lift truck is a popular piece of machinery utilized to carry and lift goods and supplies on jobsites such as construction and warehousing. Lift trucks now come in varying classes and are powered with different sources. These days, electric forklifts have become common for a number of industries. They are powered by rechargeable lead-acid batteries that are more powerful and larger compared to automobile batteries. In this broad category of electric lift trucks, there are a variety of sub-types distinguished by several common specifications.
Load Capacity
Load capacity is the amount of weight which a specific type of forklift can support.
Stroke
The stroke is the vertical lift travel of the forklift. It describes the amount of difference between the fully-raised and fully-loaded positions of the particular forklift.
Classes
In order to organize the features of the various models, classes of forklifts have been categorized into eight classes. Classes III, II and I pertain to electric lift trucks. Class I forklifts cover electric motor trucks designed to be ridden by the operator while in operation. Class II electric lift trucks are made for efficiency in narrow aisle environments and are recommended for stocking and pulling merchandise inside a warehouse. Class III electric forklifts are motor-powered hand trucks which are used by a person who walks behind the unit.
Battery Specifications
Battery specifications provide information regarding what type of performance you could expect from them. The majority of forklifts have a plate which identifies the amount of volts available from the battery. The weight of the battery will normally be specified on the forklift also, because that specification is needed to know the amount of weight the lift truck should support. Usually the specification also consists of the weight of the lift truck without the battery.
Input
Input refers to the amount of energy input that the lift truck's battery is designed to accept while charging. This is an important specification. Like for instance, an electric lift truck may be able to accept either 230 or 460 volts at a time.