Chapter 5

Industrial truck
 Unit 5. Industrial Truck
Industrial trucks introduction and types, Purpose
of hand trucks, Tractors and trailers, Self-
propelled trucks and fork trucks, Automated
guided vehicles Theory.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will be able to
 understand the basic working principles of various
industrial trucks.
select appropriate truck for appropriate application.
In this chapter, operation and constructional
features of some of the common types of
industrial trucks will be discussed.
 The adjective ‘‘industrial’’ used before this
group of vehicles / trucks is to distinguish these
from other group of vehicles like bus, lorry,
truck etc. used for transportation of man, live
stock or goods.
 The entire range of industrial vehicles/trucks are
generally sub-classified into two groups viz.
non- powered truck, (also called hand trucks)
and powered trucks.
 Industrial vehicles/trucks is one of the most common
group of materials handling equipment used in
industry as well as in day to day distribution of goods
in warehouses, large stores, transport depots etc.
 The powered trucks can be further subdivided into
following three subgroups, for convenience of
discussion:
(a) Power Truck.
(b) Forklift Truck.
(c) Tractor
 5.1 HAND TRUCKS
Hand trucks, as the name implies, have no
source of motive power, these are generally
moved manually or are attached to other
powered moving equipment/units. Hand trucks
are classified into three sub groups
(i) 2-Wheel hand truck,
(ii) multiple-wheel hand truck and
(iii) Hand lift truck.
 (i) 2-Wheel hand truck
 These are generally used for moving unit or unitized loads
like bags, barrels, boxes, cartons,
bales, cylinders etc. by pushing the truck manually.
 Different varieties of 2-wheel trucks are in use based on
the type of loads to be handled. Some of these, which are
variations of the basic design, are illustrated in Figure
below indicating the type of load they are used for.
 (ii) Multiple-wheel Hand Trucks
 These trucks generally consists of a platform or framework
mounted on 3 or 4 or more number of wheels.
 The truck is generally provided with a handle for pushing or
pulling the platform.
 Certain trucks are provided with no handle or detachable handle.
 Trucks under this subgroup can be classified in the following
individual equipment:
1. Dollies: These units consists of a wooden or metallic low
platform or frame of different shapes
a) rectangular,
b) triangular or circular) and
c) sizes depending on the load to be carried.
Platform Trucks: These are basically larger version of dollies in
which metallic frames are generally of rectangular shape and
produced in many sizes in light, medium and heavy-duty
construction. Handle at one or both ends are provided for
pushing.
(a) tilt `or balance type which have rigid wheels at the center of
the platform and set of one or two swivel casters located at two ends of
the platform permitting maneuverability.
(b) non tilt type where the rigid wheels are at one end and the swivel
casters, usually smaller in size, located at the other end, so that all the
wheels are active always.
Semi-live skid platform: These are basically flat platforms with two load
wheels on one end and two legs at the other. The skid platform with
load is activated by a lift jack, which is a long handle with a pair of
wheels and a hook.
 (iii) Hand Lift Trucks
 These hand trucks are provided with a mechanism of lifting
its platform, which can be rolled under a pallet or skid, and
raised to lift the pallet or skid with load to clear the ground
and then move this load from one place to another.
 Depending on the lifting mechanism, these are grouped into
hydraulic or mechanical type.
 Hand lift trucks are widely used in small to medium sized
manufacturing industries using pallets, skids and/or
containers.
 Both hydraulic and mechanical hand lift trucks are further
classified, based on general constructional features, into:
(a) pallet, (b) platform and (c) special types.
(b) Platform lift truck The platform may be solid or
of open frame structure. These trucks are generally
used with skids. Load capacity and nominal sizes of
standard trucks of this kind vary within ranges : ½
ton to 3 tons, 450 mm to 680 mm width, 750 mm to
1800 mm length and lift heights from 150 mm to
higher values.
 5.2 Power Trucks
When a vehicle / truck contains its own source of
motive power, it is called a power truck. Power
trucks are divided into six several categories of
equipment.
(i) mode of action
(ii)power source
(iii) type of wheel
(iv) mode of control
(v) height of lift
(vi) mode of travel
 5.2.1 Fixed Platform Truck (powered)
 These are powered (battery, diesel or gas operated)
industrial trucks having a fixed level, non elevating
platform for carrying load.
 Materials to be moved have to be loaded and unloaded to
and from the platform by hand, hoist or carne.
 Capacities of these trucks can go up to 40 tons. Smaller
capacity models are called load carriers.
Variations of normal platform truck are
(i) drop platform truck,
(ii) drop center baggage truck
Different designs of platform truck
5.2.2 Platform Lift Truck (powered)
These equipment are a particular type of powered
platform truck, whose platform can be raised and lowered
to handle loads on skids. Range of lift of the platform
may be ‘‘low-lift’’, upto 300 mm or ‘‘high-lift’’, over 300
mm.
5.2.3 Pallet Lift Truck (powered)
 These are similar to platform lift truck in which the
platform is replaced by forks to work also with loads on
pallets. These are basically for enummer of fork-lift
trucks.
(a) Reach truck: In this design the forks can reach out on a
pantographic mechanism which permits the forks to travel
forward to engage load, lift it, and then retracts towards the mast
before travel starts. These are of great use for warehousing and
loading/unloading vehicles.
(b) Side loader truck: In this design the operational direction of the
forks is at right angles to the movement of the truck. The major
benefit of the design is that the truck need not turn into the load.
The truck can move along a narrow aisle of a warehouse, and the
fork can load / unload from the rack directly.
Pallet lift truck wallet (battery) and Narrow aisle side loader
 5.2.4 Walkie Truck
This term implies different types of powered trucks described
above, when the operator walks with the truck and operates it
by means of controls available on the truck handle.
 Walkie trucks are smaller, lighter and slower than rider-types,
generally powered by battery. These are designed to fill the
gap between hand trucks and powered rider-trucks in which
the operator stands/sits on the truck.
5.2.5 Straddle Carrier
 This is a self-loading powered truck for movement of long
and heavy loads including shipping containers. The truck
consists of a inverted “U” shaped frame having wheels
mounted on outside of the frame.
• Capacities up to 40 tons is common.
 5.3 Fork Lift Trucks
 Amongst the powered industrial vehicle/truck family, most
versatile, useful and widely used equipment is industrial lift
trucks, popularly called forklift trucks (FLT in short).
 forklift trucks are used for lifting, lowering, stacking,
un stacking, loading and unloading and maneuvering of
medium to large weight, uniform shaped unit loads,
intermittently.
 However, the limitations of these equipment are
(i) usually requires pallet/skid/container,
(ii) requires skilled operator,
(iii) equipment needs maintenance facility,
(iv) capacity of these equipment vary from 1ton upto about 60 tons,
(v) slow travel speed (10-15 kmph).
(vi) suitable for short hauls (hundreds of meters).
Other features of a forklift truck are:
(i) The source of power is petrol/diesel or LP gas engine or a battery
driven motor.
(ii) The mast may be tilted forward or backward within a range, for
better stability during movement with load and also to facilitate
loading and unloading.
(iii) The mast may be a single mast or may be telescoping in design
which allows high lifting of the load for trucks that must run
through limited head room areas.
(iv) In certain designs, the forks are independently retractable outboard
and inboard through pantograph mechanism.
(v) The operation of the mast and movement of the forks (or any other
attachment) are through a hydraulic power pack.
(vi) The body of the truck is purposely built heavy which act as counter
load while lifting loads on forks/attachments.
(vii) Solid rubber tyres are provided for operation in different floor
conditions.
Major Parts of A Forklift Truck
A Few Designs of Forklift Trucks And Their Use.
5.3.1 Specifications of FLT
a list of major specifications from operational point of view:
(a) Rated capacity (1000 kg, 2000 kg etc.)
(b) Power sources (gas, diesel, battery etc.)
(c) Turning radius.
(d) Physical dimensions (length, width, height)
(e) Mast height
(f) Lift height.
(g) Mast specification (single or telescoping, tilting or non-
tilting, retractable or not.)
(h) Travel speed.
(i) Lifting speed.
(j) Floor clearance.
(k) Free lift (movement of fork without mast movement).
(l) Retractable fork or not.
(m) Fork size (length, width, maximum gap between forks
(n) Attachments provided.
Other important technical specifications are :
(i) motive power (h.p. rating),
(ii) power transmission system (disc clutch, fluid
coupling etc.),
(ii) tyre specifications,
(iv) battery and charger specification etc.
 5.3.2 Capacity rating of FLT
• FLT’s are specified for a rated capacity at a specified
load centre. Load centre is the distance
from the heel (vertical face) of the forks to the
assumed c.g. of the load.
• However, if the actual c.g. of the load goes beyond
the specified load centre, the loading capacity of the
truck has to be reduced accordingly,
• so that the moment of the load about the front wheel
does not exceed that of the counter-loaded body of
truck, and the rear wheels do not loose contact with
ground.
For example (see Fig 5.3.3), let rated capacity of the FLT is 2000 kg and
load centre is 450 mm. Let the distance between front wheels to heel
of the fork (distance A to B) is 350 mm. Then true capacity of the FLT
is =2000 × (load centre + distance A to B) = 2000 × (450 +350) = 16
× 105 kg.mm. Now, if a load is to be carried whose c.g. ‘‘C’’ is at a
distance of 550 mm from the heel of the forks (distance B to C =
550), then the maximum safe weight ‘‘W’’ that can be carried is given
by the equation:
5.3.3 Turning Radius and Aisle Width
 5.4 TRACTORS
• Tractor is a vehicle, having its own source of motive power,
used as a prime mover to haul i.e. to give motion to another or
a group of other vehicles which do not have their own motive
power, such as trailers, semitrailers, transfer cars etc.
• Tractors are used in a wide field of activities, starting from
agriculture to earth-moving, municipal waste handling,
construction and industries.
• tractor may be fitted with different attachments to do different
jobs like sweeping sidewalks, plough snow, excavate ground,
scoop loading, bull dozing etc.
• Tractors are used in a wide field of activities, starting from
agriculture to earth-moving, municipal waste handling,
construction and industries.
 5.4.1 Industrial Tractor
 The industrial tractors are generally grouped into
(i) wheel type which are primarily used for movement of one or
more trailers for interplant or intra plant transportation
(ii) crawler type which are mostly used in outdoor and storage
yard service at slow speeds and for short hauls.
 The most important specification of a tractor is it’s draw-bar
pull rating. According to this rating, they are classified as
small (100 kg normal to 500 kg), medium (250 kg normal to
750 kg), large (1.0 tons normal to 5 tons maximum) and extra
large (up to 35 tons).
 Other specifications are physical dimensions, weight, horse-
power, number of wheel drive, front or rear wheel-steer,
walkie or rider type etc.
 5.4.2 Trailer
 Trailers are load bearing wheeled vehicles or cars
without any motive power, designed to bedrawn by a
tractor or truck.
 Trailers are classified as semitrailer and full trailers.
A semi trailer is a truck-trailer having one or more axles
and constructed so that a part of its weight is
carried by the truck/tractor.
 A full trailer is constructed to carry almost all its weight
on its own wheels. Number of axles may be one or
more. The tractor has to give only the pulling force for
its motion.
Tractor-Trailer
• Non-load-carrying tractor used to pull a train of
trailers (i.e., dollies or floor hand trucks).
• Advantage: Enables a single operator to
transport multiple floor hand trucks in a single
move.
• Disadvantage: Requires wide aisles or open
spaces to operate.
• Manual version of a tow AGV.
• Typically used at airports for baggage handling
Tractor-Trailer…
Personnel and Burden Carrier
• Non-load-carrying vehicle used to transport
personnel within a facility (e.g., golf cart,
bicycle, etc.)
Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV)
• AGVs do not require an operator.
• Good for high labor cost, hazardous, or
environmentally sensitive conditions (e.g.,
clean-room) .
• AGVs good for low-to-medium volume
medium-to-long distance random material flow
operations (e.g., transport between work cells
in a flexible manufacturing system (FMS)
environment).
Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV)…
• Two means of guidance can be used for AGV
systems:
 Fixed path: Physical guide path (e.g., wire,
tape, paint) on the floor used for guidance.
 Free-ranging: No physical guide path, thus
easier to change vehicle path (in software), but
absolute position estimates are needed to
correct dead-reckoning error.
(a) Tow AGV
• Used to pull a train of trailers.
• Automated version of a tractor trailer.
• Trailers usually loaded manually.
(b) Unit load AGV
• Have decks that can be loaded manually or
automatically.
• Deck can include conveyor or lift/lower mechanism for
automatic loading.
• Typically 4 by 4 feet and can carry 1–2,000 lb. loads.
• Typically less than 10 vehicles in AGV system.
(c) Assembly AGV
• Used as assembly platforms (e.g., car chassis,
engines, appliances).
• Typically 50–100 vehicles in AGV system.
Assessment:
• Individual Assignment: Thoroughly read reference
materials about Automated Guided Vehicle System
(AGVs) and prepare and submit a maximum of 15
pages report about what it is, its types, controlling
mechanisms and its purposes. .-------- 10%
• Group Assignment: Take physical observation on
one Soft Drink or Brewery, or Alcohol and Liquor or
Sugar or Cement Factory and produce a report
about the type of material handling used in the case
industry, observed gap and suggested
solution.----------20%