When it comes to maintaining the lift truck, it can really be easy to overlook the simple yet important tire. If you select the wrong tire, you can end up accidentally with a huge increase in fleet operating expenses, or increased safety risks, which is worse yet. If on the other hand, you pick correct kind of tire you can enjoy significant cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more effective operation. A properly chosen tire could really lessen the downtime for replacement and potentially last 40 percent longer.
The forklift tire is a somewhat complex part of the equipment. It is thus, easy to choose the wrong kind accidentally. There are so many different brands of tires and kinds, with a wide range of compounds and treads. This means you should be fully prepared with the correct data when you are going shopping for tires so that you can decide on some tough and safe options to help prolong the life of your forklift.
The specific kind of tire chosen for a lift truck depends on the kind of surface you will be using the machine on. For instance, smoother surfaces and indoor applications generally use tires that are made from rubber and that are a smaller size. On the contrary, outdoor applications require pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These characteristics give them a great grip on surfaces which are rough and uneven.
Forklift Tire Safety
Each year, there are around 200 people killed in accidents related for lift truck use. Ensuring forklift safety, such as correct inspection practices, can all contribute in to preventing these horrible and dangerous mishaps from taking place.
Pre-Work Inspection
Before each shift, the lift truck's tires have to be checked. Ideally, they should have the proper air pressure, as set forth by the manufacturer. This is very essential because if the tire pressure is too low, the equipment can inadvertently tip over when a load is being lifted.
Kinds
For indoor work, lift trucks that have solid tires made out of rubber are the most suitable option.
Other factors
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration or OSHA require that forklifts used on a continual basis need to be inspected at the completion of every shift. The operator should inspect the equipment for any mechanical problems and the tires should be inspected for excessive wear, cuts or obvious damage to the tires. Any issues which are detected should be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.