Roughly 60 percent of the lift truck market is made up by electric lift truck units. These models derive their power from big, heavy lead-acid batteries that that prevents the machinery from tipping over since it gives it the counterweight.
According to the ITA, electric counterbalanced lift trucks are considered Class 1 lift trucks. Class 1 is the category which includes all stand-up counterbalanced trucks and other electric lift trucks. Although the first investment when you purchase an electric lift truck is more than an IC or internal combustion forklift, electric lift trucks are a lot less costly to run and operate in the long-run. This is due to lesser fuel and maintenance costs, compared to the internal combustion or IC units.
Within North America, the majority of electric rider lift trucks are designed for moving materials indoors. Electric rider lift trucks are utilized most frequently in retail spaces, and warehousing applications. The electric units are the best choice for inside use due to their ability to emit zero toxic emissions and make less noise.
What's more, electric lift truck could usually work a complete 8 hour shift on a single battery charge. Reloading, recharging and removing batteries, that generally weigh approximately 3000 lbs. could be time consuming and difficult. This cumbersome task normally needs a dedicated area for battery handling. Nevertheless, new fast charging technologies are now utilized to change the procedure and update this process to be able to accomplish it in a much quicker way.
This fast charging technology is considered to be better charging technology. It has changed electric unit lift trucks and the charging time of their batteries. The professionals of the material handling industry, state that these new changes within the battery technology and battery charging systems can lessen charging time by up to 50 percent!
IC or Internal Combustion Counterbalanced Forklifts
The IC powered lift truck would depend on kinds of fuels, such as LPG or liquid propane gas, diesel, compressed natural gas or CNG and gasoline. The larger lift trucks are commonly used outdoors. Normally, these units operate on diesel or gas and uses air-filled or pneumatic tires in order to make them appropriate for rough environment and steep slopes, compared to cushion tires. Cushion tires are more suitable for smooth services and indoor use as they are made from solid rubber.
The LPG unit is the most common fuel option for indoor trucks. Nowadays, there are more than 600,000 propane-filled forklifts working around the globe. These units provide numerous benefits. Like for instance, propane-fueled forklifts maintain 100% consistent power during operation. Also, these models offer faster ground speeds than other power sources.