Positioning Lock Device - for proper positioning of the fork on the fork carriage. Heel - the curved part of the fork that connects the blade to the shank. Terms:īlade - the level part of the fork that supports the load Fork-wear calipers used to help identify (specifically) items 2, 3, 4, and 6. Over time, the fork wears away and the structural integrity is diminished - a worn fork won't hold the load the forklift is rated to lift and product damage and serious injury can occur. This occurs from day-to-day operation and friction between the floor and the fork. The most common factor in fork replacements is wear to the heel of the fork. On a new standard pallet fork the shank and heel are the same thickness. Per O.S.H.A., a fork that shows any of these defects shall be withdrawn from service and discarded or properly repaired.

Fork angle from blade to shank is not straight.

is a great resource to best understand what fork conditions should be.

Fork locking pins are often missing or not-functional allowing the forks to slide on the carriage, move under the load, or come loose from the carriage altogether.

Fork hanger welds can fatigue and crack from operators pushing product on the floor leading to product damage or employee injury.

Forks that are too thin can bend, or worse break! A standard Class II fork can be commonly 1.4' up to 1.7' thick when they are brand new.

Forks with the wrong tip-taper can damage product at entry or make backing out of the load challenging.

Forks that are too long can extend beyond the pallet or load and lead to significant property damage or worse - employee injuries!.

Forks that are too narrow decrease lateral stability and can lead to product tipping side to side.

Forks that are too short don't properly support the extent of the load and can lead to broken pallets and damaged product.Here are some common things that can go wrong:

Tip and Taper combinations are available across all the fork classes. Taper options include a standard where the forward-facing 50% of the fork is angled towards the tip as well as full-taper and polished forks with a thinner profile and smooth face-surface to slide into loads such as corrugated, lumber, sheet stock, and drywall more easily. Hanger inside dimension = 16.00” – most common!įork Tips and Taper can vary as well.There are (4) classes of forks that have unique mounting dimensions and capacity Forks are the first and last thing to touch your products and materials and can often be the difference in safe and efficient handling and unstable loads and damaged product. Assumptions and mistakes are often made when it comes to the forks on your lift truck.

Forklift fork capacity chart