Choosing The Right Forklift Options & Attachments

One of the most versatile machines in business today is the forklift. That’s because there are a plethora of attachments that help the lift perform a multitude of tasks. Still, for many forklift attachments is an afterthought possibly because there are so many of them. The number of attachments makes it difficult for some to select a proper one and that can discourage many from buying them.

To assist warehouse managers in the selection of forklift attachments, we will identify the most popular and provide details why they’re so important for a warehouse operation.

Popular forklift attachments you should consider for your warehouse operation include:

• The Side-shifter
• Fork Positioner
• Paper Clamps
• Push/Pull Attachment
• Multiple Pallet Handler
• Classic Fork Extensions
• Rotators

The Side-shifter

One of the most popular attachments available, the side-shifter allows for loads to be shifted easily and smoothly from side to side. It also permits minor adjustments to the alignment of pallets without maneuvering the entire forklift.

The benefits of a side-shifter includes:

• Helps to reduce fuel consumption.
• Saves pallets from damage.
• Quicker loading of pallets.
• Allows warehouse space to be maximized.

Warehouses that cater to such industries as agriculture, paper handling, food and beverage, construction and manufacturing and small warehouses to name a few would discover that a side-shifter would be advantageous for their operations.

Fork Positioner

This attachment permits the forks of a forklift to be positioned hydraulically. It assures the forklift operator can precisely align the forks with pallets. This attachment is ideal if the width of the loads you’re working with change.
Benefits of the fork positioner include:

• Increased productivity.
• The forks don’t require manual adjustments.
• Helps reduce damage to pallets.
• Improved load handling.

Warehouses that cater to distribution, food manufacturing, pharmaceutical, warehousing, construction, and general manufacturing will benefit from the use of fork positioners.

Paper Clamps

Ideal for paper handling warehouses, paper clamps, also known as paper roll attachments, allows for easier handling of rolled paper products.

Benefits of paper clamps or paper roll attachments include:

• Minimizing damage to paper rolls.
• Permits quicker and easier handling.
• Works well on 180 and 360-degree rotations.

Push/Pull Attachment

Designed to be connected to a number of different forklifts, push/pull attachments helps to increasing shipping volume. It uses a high-quality slip-sheet and is relatively inexpensive to purchase. It can also be removed from a lift quite easily.

It assists in picking up and transporting wooden and plastic pallets. Benefits include:

• Efficient installation.
• No need to remove the forks when attaching it.
• Use of Slip Sheets with attachment improves handling of products.
• Use of slip sheets reduces packaging weight.
• Push/pull attachments with forks are available.
• The Push/pull attachment can easily and quickly be removed from the forklift.

Warehouses that cater to such industries as food and beverage, food manufacturing, and bagged products would benefit from the use of this attachment. In addition, warehouses on a tight budget and is of modest size, would also benefit.

Multiple Pallet Handler

Designed to be used to lift and transport numerous pallets, the multiple pallet handler features forks that spread, carries and side shits several pallets simultaneously side-by-side.

Forklifts using this attachment can maneuver through narrow aisle ways with ease and ensure that the lift takes fewer trips.

Benefits include:

• Better handling of pallets.
• Reduced loading and unloading times.
• More efficient forklift maneuverability.

Warehouses that cater to such industries as bottling, brewing, warehouse, distribution, shipping, and retail would benefit in the use of this attachment.

Classic Fork Extensions

Designed to extend the length of the existing forks, this attachment features sleeves that help handle awkward, long or extensive loads.

The benefits of this attachment include:

• Better forklift stability.
• Ensures safe handling of various size loads.
• Offers the forklift great maneuverability.

The warehouse industry, shipping, factory and retail would benefit from the use of this attachment.

Rotators

A rotator attachment on a forklift will allow you to rotate products 360 degrees when needed. This makes moving and handling items of multiple sizes easier. It also assists in inverting and offloading stock, which reduces downtime and enhances productivity.

The benefits of this attachment include:

• Quick inversion of loads.
• Swiftly returns forks to their upright position.
• Maneuvers can be performed in one continuous motion.

Warehouses that cater to waste management, waste recycling, food processing, food manufacturing, agriculture and food and beverages will benefit from the use of this attachment.

(Source: mhwmagazine.co.uk)