Around 60 percent of the forklift market is made up by electric lift truck models. These models are powered by heavy, large lead-acid batteries which give the equipment it's counterweight in order to prevent it from tipping over.
According to the ITA, electric counterbalanced forklifts are considered Class 1 forklifts. Class 1 is the category which covers all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric lift trucks. Although the first investment when you buy an electric lift truck is more than an internal combustion or IC lift truck, electric forklifts are less costly to run and operate in the long-run. This is because of lower maintenance and fuel expenses, than the IC or internal combustion units.
Most of the electric rider lift trucks shipped within North America is designed for moving material indoors. They are usually utilized in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric units are the best alternative for inside applications as they emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
What's more, electric lift truck could normally run a complete 8 hour shift on a single battery charge. Reloading, recharging and removing batteries, that generally weigh around 3000 lbs. could be time consuming and hard. This burdensome job often needs a dedicated area for handling the battery. Then again, new fast charging technologies are now utilized to change the procedure and update this method to be able to accomplish it in a a lot quicker way.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has changed electric unit lift trucks and the time it takes to charge their batteries. The material handling business professionals, state that these new developments within the battery charging systems and battery technology can lessen charging time by up to 50%!
IC Counterbalanced Forklifts
Internal combustion forklifts rely on a range of different types of fuels, like liquid propane gas or LPG, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger lift trucks are commonly utilized outdoors. Normally, these models are gas or diesel powered and utilizes pneumatic or air-filled tires in order to make them suitable for rough terrain and steep inclines, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for indoor use and smooth services as they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG unit is the most popular fuel option for indoor trucks. These days, there are over 600,000 propane-filled lift trucks operating all around the globe. These units provide various advantages. Like for example, lift trucks that run on propane fuel maintain 100 percent constant power during operation. Additionally, these units provide faster ground speeds as opposed to other power sources.