Every day when customers buy our forklift attachments, work platform . we receive a call asking, “can my forklift lift it?” The fact is that forklift attachments do affect your overall forklift capacity, and whether your forklift will lift it depends on your specific forklift and expected load.
During the pre certification of our attachments, we have introduced the forklift capacity to many customers, so we think it is useful to provide this knowledge to everyone. Next, we have broken down the basic knowledge of forklift capacity and the information about lifting capacity you need to know when purchasing new forklift attachments.
Forklift capacity: what you need to know
“Can my forklift lift it?” In order to answer this question, you need to understand the basic knowledge of forklift capacity, because it is related to the center of gravity, load center and attachmens of forklift.
1. The forklift has no fixed center of gravity
Part of the reason why forklift overturning makes forklift stability so difficult is that forklift has no fixed center of gravity. When unloading, the center of gravity of the forklift is in the center of the truck between the front and rear wheels. However, during loading, the center of gravity of the forklift will shift to the front axle. If the maximum capacity of the forklift is overloaded, the center of gravity of the forklift will shift to the front axle, resulting in the forklift tipping.
2. The load center notifies the maximum load capacity
Forklift stability is based on two things: load capacity and load center. Load capacity describes the maximum weight that a forklift can carry at a given load center. The load center is the distance from the fork surface to the center of gravity of the load itself. The larger your load center, that is, the farther your load is placed, your load capacity will be reduced. Therefore, the way the weight is distributed on the forklift and forklift attachments will change the weight that the forklift can safely carry.
3. The rated capacity and attachments of your forklift will affect
All forklifts are rated by the manufacturer for a certain maximum safe lifting capacity and height. It is important to know these numbers, and also know that the maximum capacity and height of these safety lifts will change when you add attachments to the forklift. We ask each of our customers to obtain a nameplate from the forklift manufacturer stating that their truck with our attachments has a rated capacity of X. If the X capacity is less than your needs, the attachments is not suitable for you.
Forklift loading and handling safety practices
When lifting with new attachments or heavy objects, please keep these forklift capacity safety tips in mind:
If the rear wheels of your forklift start to lift off the ground, it means it is overloaded. This indicates that the center of gravity is offset too far on the front axle. Do not operate until all wheel sets are firmly on the ground.
Take extra care when handling heavy loads close to the specified capacity of the truck. Slowly move and raise the test load up and down before moving with the load.
Fast turns can cause the center of gravity to move and the forklift to overturn. Use slow, wide turns when handling heavy objects.
When using forklift attachments, ensure that the new attachments have been correctly installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. You also need to practice using the new attachment before lifting any load, so that you can get used to the operability of the attachment.
Confirm the truck capacity of your forklift before you purchase
If we do not pre qualify the application of your forklift attachments before you purchase, we will waste your and our time. Therefore, before we go through the quotation process, we will review according to the intended use of each customer and the lifting capacity of our attachments provided by the manufacturer.
