About 60 percent of the forklift market is made up by electric forklift units. These units are powered by huge, heavy lead-acid batteries which give the machinery it's counterweight so as to avoid it from tipping over.
According to the ITA, electric counterbalanced forklifts are considered Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 is the category that includes all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric forklifts. Although the first investment when buying an electric lift truck is more as opposed to an IC or internal combustion lift truck, electric lift trucks are much less expensive to run and operate in the long-run. This is due to lesser maintenance and fuel expenses, in comparison to the IC models.
Within North America, the majority of electric rider forklifts are designed for transporting materials indoors. Electric rider lift trucks are utilized most frequently in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric models are the right option for inside applications since they emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
In addition, electric forklift can generally operate a complete 8 hour shift on a single battery charge. Reloading, recharging and removing batteries, that generally weigh around 3000 pounds could be time consuming and difficult. This burdensome task usually requires a dedicated space for handling the battery. However, new fast charging technologies are being utilized to update this process and change the procedure to be able to accomplish it in a much quicker method.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has revolutionized electric unit lift trucks and the charging time of their batteries. The professionals of the material handling business, state that these new developments within the battery charging systems and battery technology could lessen charging time by as much as 50%!
IC Counterbalanced Lift Trucks
The internal combustion powered forklifts will depend on types of fuels, like LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger lift trucks are usually utilized outdoors. Usually, these units are diesel or gas powered and uses air-filled or pneumatic tires in order to make them appropriate for steep inclines and rough terrain, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for indoor use and smooth services as they are made from solid rubber.
The most popular fuel option for indoor trucks is LPG. There are over 600,000 propane-filled lift trucks today that are operating within DCs and in warehouses. These units provide various benefits. For instance, lift trucks that run on propane fuel maintain 100 percent constant power during operation. Also, these units provide faster ground speeds as opposed to other power sources.