Approximately 60 percent of the forklift market is made up by electric lift truck units. These units derive their power from heavy, large lead-acid batteries that give the machine it's counterweight in order to prevent it from tipping over.
The ITA states that electric counterbalanced forklifts are considered Class 1 forklifts. The category of Class1 also includes stand-up counterbalanced forklifts as well as other electric trucks that are designed for general use. Although the first investment when purchasing an electric forklift is more as opposed to an internal combustion or IC forklift, electric forklifts are less expensive to operate and run in the long-run. This is because of lesser fuel and maintenance costs, than the internal combustion models.
Within North America, the majority of electric rider forklifts are designed for transporting materials indoors. Electric rider forklifts are utilized most commonly in warehousing applications, and retail spaces. The electric units are the right choice for inside use because of their ability to emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
Furthermore, electric forklift can generally work a complete 8 hour shift on one battery charge. Recharging, reloading and removing batteries, which generally weigh approximately 3000 lbs. can be time consuming and hard. This cumbersome task often requires a dedicated area for handling the battery. However, new fast charging technologies are now utilized to update this method and change the procedure to be able to accomplish it in a a lot quicker method.
Fast charging technologies are considered the best charging technologies. It has revolutionized electric unit forklifts and the charging time of their batteries. The professionals of the material handling industry, state that these new changes in the battery charging systems and battery technology can cut charging time by as much as 50 percent!
IC Counterbalanced Forklifts
Internal combustion forklifts depend on a variety of different kinds of fuels, like LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, CNG or compressed natural gas and gasoline. The bigger forklifts are normally utilized outdoors. Generally, these models operate on gas or diesel and uses air-filled or pneumatic tires so as to make them suitable for rough terrain and steep slopes, as opposed to cushion tires. Cushion tires are better suited for smooth services and indoor use because they are made from solid rubber.
The most common fuel option for indoor trucks is LPG. There are over 600,000 propane-filled forklifts these days that are operating within DCs and in warehouses. These units provide a huge range of benefits. For instance, propane-fueled lift trucks maintain 100% consistent power during operation. In addition, these units provide faster ground speeds as opposed to other power sources.