Forklift Attachments For Improved Productivity
Forklift attachments can be fitted to your machine to handle various materials. In addition, removable forklift attachments can be taken off at any time, which increases your forklift’s versatility to perform various handling tasks.
Using the proper forklift attachment for specific applications can significantly increase your business’ productivity. However, with so many different options on the market, it can be tricky to decide on the correct attachment. You might want to consider these are some of the most common forklift attachments.
Side shifts
Modern forklifts have side shift attachments as standard since side shifts are one of the most common attachments used. These forklift attachments allow the operator to move both forks as one unit from side to side. This way, the operator can pick the load up more quickly despite it not being perfectly aligned.
Benefits
- Less pallet damage and truck wear
- Reduced fuel consumption
- Faster pallet loading and unloading times
Fork positioners
Another common forklift attachment is the fork positioner, which hydraulically moves the forks closer or further away from each other for faster and more effective handling of different pallet sizes and odd-size objects. Compared to a side shift, this forklift attachment requires an extra hydraulic valve and moves the forks independently from one another.
Benefits
- Faster load handling times
- Less pallet damage, truck wear, and reduced fuel consumption
Single-double pallet handlers
This forklift attachment allows the flexibility to lift one or two pallets at the same time using four forks paired together to lift one pallet or spread apart to resemble two sets of forks, lifting and transporting two pallets simultaneously side-by-side. This forklift attachment is widely used in high-turnover production and warehousing industries.
Benefits
- Can handle both single and double pallets
- More efficient and productive
- Reduces loading and unloading times
- Limits the number of manoeuvres to load and unload
Paper roll clamps
Paper roll clamps are used to handle different-sized paper rolls in paper-handling industries, like newspaper printers, paper manufacturers, and tissue manufacturers. In addition, these forklift attachments are available with different types of gripping pads. Furthermore, automatic pressure controls are used to prevent damage to the paper rolls. Clamps are preferred forklift attachments when a load can’t be transported by pallet.
Benefits
- Designed mainly for the paper industry
- Extensive selections of clamp pads
- 360° rotation
- Cost-saving due to reduced paper damage
Appliance clamps and rotors
Appliance clamps are forklift attachments used to handle large square or rectangular objects that don’t need a pallet. They are commonly used for handling appliances, electronic applications, and other fragile goods.
Rotators are forklift attachments with forks attached to a rotating apron that turns between 180 degrees and 360 degrees. They are generally used to transport bins and dump their contents.
Clam benefits
Without a need for pallets, there’s increased storage space
Fewer breakages and greater efficiencies
No need to purchase or repair pallets
Reduced handling times of white goods and electronics
Push/pull or slip sheeters
These forklift attachments are used to handle loads that have slip sheets instead of pallets. The attachment pulls to load and pushes to unload and is commonly used for bagged products like cement, seed, grain, etc. It uses inexpensive slip sheets that can be saved and reused, decreasing storage requirements and lower handling costs.
Benefits
- No need to remove forks for quick installation and removal
- Easy goods handling
- No need for a pallet exchange
- Reduced cost, packing weight, and shipping cost
- Increased storage space
Benefits of forklift attachments
Forklift attachments can reduce operator stress and lead to higher productivity. Armed with insight into the most common forklift attachments, their uses, and benefits, you can now make an informed decision and choose the correct attachment for your specific needs. However, keep in mind that several forklift attachments require an additional hydraulic valve, which involves an extra cost. Fortunately, several of these forklift attachments can easily be attached and removed, often without the need to remove the forks. Having a single piece of equipment that can fulfill several tasks is an excellent way to manage operational costs.
Contact Micron Engineering
For more information about different forklift attachments, whether to hire, purchase, or maintain, contact Micron Engineering today.
