It is recommended to often inspect the front end of your forklift as part of your pre-shift or daily examination, in order to help prevent expensive lift truck repairs. By catching any problems as they occur or in advance, you can also help prevent damage to any cargo as well. The following includes some of the general guidelines on what particular stuff to inspect during frequent inspections of your material handling fleet.
Forks
It is vital to frequently check the forks because if they are cracked or worn out, they could potentially fail without warning. Any kind of fork damage means that your lift truck must immediately be removed from service until it is repaired and safe once again. Visually inspect your forks for any visible 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 sign that you need to replace the forks.
Mast
The mast should ideally tilt backward and forward while being able to move down and up. 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 located on each 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, lower and raise the mast and also tilt it forward and backward several times in order to make sure that the lubricant is worked properly into the fittings.
Tilt Cylinders
Your daily inspection needs to include the checking for oil leaks and damage because an uncontrolled mast movement could be a result of oil leakage. Whether the leaks are external or are located inside of the cylinder, the end result could be cylinder drift and loss of fluid. If there are any signs of leaks or damage, you may have to replace just the seals or the whole cylinder assembly.
Chains
The mast chains need to be inspected to see if they are being stretched beyond their acceptable limits. In addition, inspect 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 seems rusted or kinked. Both the sheave bearings and the chain rollers should also be checked for indications of wear.
Normally, mast lift chains wear at the pin-to-link connections. If you discover wear, you could experience chain failure. This could end up damaging front end parts or even the product. If you do not have time on hand to carry out frequent fleet inspections or if you need help determining what exactly to check on your forklifts, simply contact your local lift truck dealer. Their trained service technicians will help your perform PM or planned maintenance inspections based on your application needs and scheduling.