It is suggested to regularly inspect the front end of your lift truck as part of your pre-shift or daily examination, in order to help prevent expensive lift truck repairs. By catching any problems ahead of time or as they happen, you can also help prevent damage to any kind of cargo as well. The following includes some of the common guidelines on what specific things to check during regular inspections of your material handling fleet.
Forks
Frequently checking the forks is vital because if these are cracked or worn out, they might fail without warning. Any type of fork damage means that your lift truck must immediately be removed from service until it is safe and repaired once again. Visually check your forks for any visible signs of wear or damage. If the cracks run deeper than on the surface, replace them. Any type of wear on the forks beyond 10 percent is one more sign that you should replace the forks.
Mast
The mast must ideally tilt backward and forward while being able to move up and down. You might have to grease the mast strip sliding surfaces and fittings if you find that the sliding surfaces are binding. On the inner mast there is a fitting situated on each side. The lift bracket side rollers are a different lubrication point and there is also one on each side roller. Once the lubricating has been completed, raise and lower the mast and also tilt it backward and forward several times in order to guarantee that the lubricant is worked into the fittings properly.
Tilt Cylinders
Your daily check has to involve the checking for oil leaks and damage because an uncontrolled mast movement could be caused by oil leakage. Whether the leaks are external or are located inside of the cylinder, the end result can be loss of fluid and cylinder drift. If there are any signs of leaks or damage, you might need to replace the entire cylinder assembly, or just the seals.
Chains
Inspect and make sure that the mast chains are not stretching beyond their acceptable limits. Also be certain to inspect the chains for signs of damage or wear utilizing a chain wear gauge. If there is wear beyond 2 percent, replace the chain. Also replace it if the chain seems kinked or rusted. Both the sheave bearings and the chain rollers also need to be inspected for signs of wear.
Usually, mast lift chains wear at the pin-to-link connections. If you notice wear, you can experience chain failure. This could end up damaging the product or front end components. If you require help determining what exactly to check on your lift trucks or if you do not have time on hand to carry out frequent fleet inspections, just call your local forklift dealer. Their skilled service technicians would help your perform PM or planned maintenance checks according to your scheduling and application requirements.