It is recommended to regularly inspect the front end of your lift truck as part of your daily or pre-shift inspection, in order to help prevent expensive lift truck repairs. By catching any problems as they occur or in advance, you could also help avoid damage to any kind of loads as well. The following includes several of the common guidelines on what particular stuff to inspect during regular inspections of your material handling fleet.
Forks
Frequently checking the forks is vital because if these are worn out or cracked, they may fail without warning. Any kind of fork damage means that your lift truck should immediately be removed from service until it is safe and fixed once more. Visually inspect your forks for any visible indications of damage or wear. If the cracks run deeper than on the surface, replace them. Any wear on the forks beyond 10 percent is one more sign that you need to replace the forks.
Mast
The mast should ideally tilt backward and forward while being able to move up and down. You may have to grease the mast strip sliding surfaces and fittings if you find that the sliding surfaces are binding. On the inner mast there is a fitting situated on every side. The lift bracket side rollers are a different lubrication point and there is also one on every side roller. Once the lubricating has been done, lower and raise the mast and also tilt it forward and backward a few times in order to guarantee that the lubricant is worked into the fittings correctly.
Tilt Cylinders
Your daily check has to include the checking for oil leaks and damage because an uncontrolled mast movement could be caused by oil leakage. Whether the leaks are situated inside of the cylinder or are external, the end result can be cylinder drift and loss of fluid. If there are any indications of damage or leaks, you might have to replace just the seals or the whole cylinder assembly.
Chains
Inspect and make sure that the mast chains are not stretching beyond their acceptable limits. Also be certain to inspect the chains for signs of damage or wear using a chain wear gauge. If wear is present beyond 2 percent, replace the chain. Also replace it if the chain appears kinked or rusted. The sheave bearings and the chain rollers also have to be checked for signs of wear.
Normally, mast lift chains wear at the pin-to-link connections. If you discover wear, you can experience chain failure. This can end up damaging front end components or even the product. If you do not have time on hand to perform regular fleet inspections or if you require help determining what precisely to check on your lift trucks, simply call your local forklift dealer. Their skilled service technicians will help your perform PM or planned maintenance checks according to your application needs and scheduling.