The reach truck is a loading device used to store supplies and finished products on pallets in tall racking structures. It has telescopic forks that move up and down and a hydraulic setup that allows for easy and safe retrieval of loaded pallets. There are several models, including the stand-up, double-deep, and straddle reach, which are commonly used in warehouses and manufacturing plants.
The reach truck is a loading device used by different types of companies that maintain a storage area that involves arranging supplies and finished products on pallets placed in tall racking structures. The truck allows for easy and safe retrieval of loaded pallets, as well as efficiently storing pallets of goods that are not required for immediate use.
A basic reach truck has a stabilizing mechanism on the front of the truck. Mounted to the stabilizer is a set of telescopic forks that move up and down. The forks also include a hydraulic setup that allows the operator to pick up the load and place it back on the stabilizers. This not only provides a more even balance of the load, but also makes it easier to maneuver the cart in narrow aisles between storage shelves.
As the truck arrives at the designated pallet racks, the hydraulic system allows the forks to swing and lower the pallet into the rack, sliding the pallet into place. Generally, these machines fit easily into an aisle less than three meters in diameter without problems, assuming there are no pallets sticking out of the racks.
There are several models of reach trucks. The stand-up reach model is the simplest. This will slide the forks under the pallet, transport it to the desired storage location and slide it into place. For racking no deeper than needed to accommodate a pallet of goods, this model is ideal.
The double-deep reach truck performs in the same basic manner as the stand-up type, but has telescoping forks long enough to slide a pallet into place when the racks are deep enough to accommodate two pallets of goods. Since the double-deep model can easily place the pallet at the back of the rack, there is no need to push the pallet back when there is another pallet to fit into the same section of the rack.
Straddle reach is a third variant of the reach truck. They can not only slide under the pallet but also grab the sides, the straddle model works well when you grab the sides of the pallet and the goods won’t get damaged. These can be useful when racks are accessed from more than one direction, allowing easy picking of a pallet which may be third or fourth in line.
Warehouses often use one or more types of reach trucks, as do the supply areas for many textile companies and manufacturing plants. Using a reach truck to store supplies, pallets of finished goods and generally keep the storage area tidy is common practice.
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