Propane cylinders take up little space and they could be kept either inside of a storage area or outside of a facility. It does take some time to switch out a propane cylinder, although, it still does needs operator training in order to be performed safely and also need knowledge of safety standards like the Occupational Health and Safety Administration or OSHA.
Compared to the electric forklift, IC lift trucks are easier and faster to refuel. However, the internal combustion engine does produce polluting emissions and are extremely noisy.
NARROW-AISLE LIFT TRUCKS
The ITA's Class 2 trucks include a large variety of electric lift trucks and these are specially made to be used in narrow aisles. The standard storage aisles are 12 feet wide, and this easily enables a counterbalanced lift truck to turn in the aisle and put a load away. Typically, narrow aisles are 8 feet wide, whereas the very narrow aisles are around 5.5 to 6 feet wide. These narrow aisles need specialized lift trucks which can put away cargo that are small enough to turn on a tight radius or without any turning at all.
The three most common narrow aisle forklifts are the turret trucks, order pickers and reach trucks. The differences amongst these trucks are discussed below.
Narrow-Aisle Reach Forklifts
The traditional reach truck is the original narrow-aisle forklift and these machinery do not require a counterweight. They are also small enough to turn around in narrow aisles. Instead, stability is provided by the outrigger arms which extend in front of the trucks. However, these outrigger arms could prevent the lift trucks from getting close enough to the storage rack to retrieve and deposit cargo, depending on the storage configuration. In order to overcome this situation, a pantograph was designed. The pantograph is actually a reach truck which is made with a telescoping device. This enables forks to concisely and easily reach into storage areas.
The best environment for narrow aisle lift trucks is a place which has good lighting, clean floors and good traffic flow, well-maintained floor, in addition to ample turning space.
These machinery have revolutionized the material handling industry. Toyota stands behind their dedication to providing exceptional quality and really strong machines. As the company changes, they continually strive to implement solutions so as to offer their diverse client base with the best available products.