It is recommended to often inspect the front end of your lift truck as part of your daily or pre-shift examination, in order to help prevent expensive lift truck repairs. By catching any problems as they happen or in advance, you could also help prevent damage to any cargo as well. The following covers a few of the general guidelines on what specific stuff to check during regular inspections of your material handling fleet.
Forks
Regularly checking the forks is important because if these are cracked or worn out, they might fail without warning. Any type of fork damage means that your lift truck should instantly be removed from service until it is fixed and safe once more. Visually check your forks for any noticeable signs of wear or damage. If the cracks run deeper than on the surface, replace them. Any kind of wear on the forks beyond 10 percent is one more indication that you should replace the forks.
Mast
Ideally, the mast should tilt forward and back and be able to smoothly move up and down. If you find that the sliding surfaces are binding, you may need to lubricate the mast strip sliding surfaces as well as their fittings. On the inner mast there is a fitting located on every 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 correctly.
Tilt Cylinders
Uncontrolled mast movement can be a result of oil leakage; thus, your inspection must include checking for oil leaks and for damage. Whether the leaks are external or are situated inside of the cylinder, the end result may be loss of fluid and cylinder drift. If there are any indications of leaks or damage, you may have to replace just the seals or the entire cylinder assembly.
Chains
The mast chains have to be inspected to see if they are being stretched beyond their acceptable limits. Also, check the chain wear guage or check the chains for signs of damage. If there is wear beyond 2 percent, replace the chain. Also replace it if the chain looks kinked or rusted. The sheave bearings and the chain rollers must also be checked for signs of wear.
Usually, mast lift chains wear at the pin-to-link connections. If you discover wear, you can experience chain failure. This could end up damaging the product or front end components. If you do not have time on hand to perform frequent fleet inspections or if you need help determining what precisely to inspect on your lift trucks, just call your local forklift dealer. Their skilled service technicians would help your perform planned maintenance or PM checks according to your application needs and scheduling.