hydraulic lifts for forklift maintenance

Hydraulic Lifts for Forklift Maintenance

For countless industries, forklifts help stock heavy items in large warehouses and provide safe product transition and movement. Therefore, when a forklift requires scheduled maintenance or emergency repairs, it is crucial to have the right servicing equipment on repair. In the content below, we discuss the importance of forklift maintenance and explore the most effective hydraulic lifts for forklift maintenance.

How Often Should You Schedule Forklift Maintenance?

If a forklift is rendered unsafe or in an unfit operating condition, it should not be used. Therefore, to extend the longevity and enhance the performance of your forklifts, it is important to create and adhere to a thorough maintenance schedule. Additionally, when repairs are made, you must ensure that everything is completed by authorized personnel.

To stay up to date on necessary forklift maintenance and repairs, most forklift manufacturers recommend servicing your forklift based on usage intervals, a measurement of the hours of operation.

Below is an example of a maintenance schedule based on hours.

Full-Service Maintenance

For every 200 hours of operation, complete a full-service maintenance check on your forklift.

Therefore, a factory-trained technician must complete the following:

  • Install a new fuel filter
  • Grease of chassis and mast components
  • Adjust ignition timing and engine idle speed
  • Change the oil and install a new oil filter
  • Install a new air filter
  • Inspect the lift, distributor point, drive belt tension, spark plugs, cap and rotor

 Hydraulic System Maintenance

For every 600 hours of operation, complete a hydraulic system maintenance check on your forklift.

 To effectively check and maintain the hydraulic system, a factory-trained technician must complete the following:

  • Replace hydraulic oil
  • Inspect the lift chain tension, pedal free play, mast operation, carriage rollers, lift and tilt cylinder operation, hand brake, hydraulic oil pump, differential and transmission oil, fuel filter, PCV valve, and hoses
  • Clean the radiator
  • Replace the fuel filter
  • Replace the hydraulic filter
  • Adjust the clutch release bearing, mast support bushing, tilt cylinder pins and chassis links

 Why Should I Use a Hydraulic Lift for Forklift Maintenance?

Using hydraulics helps efficiently raise and lower heavy and heavy-duty machinery such as forklifts and vehicles. Therefore, a hydraulic lift is a machine that uses a hydraulic apparatus to lift or move objects. It uses a created force that is a result of pressure exerted on liquid inside a piston. Simply put, force produces the “lift” and “work.”

As you continually conduct both scheduled and emergency repairs, your technicians can experience chronic pain, fatigue, or even lasting injury. Therefore, to effectively prevent injury and inconvenience, the use of hydraulic lifts makes your forklift repairs both simpler and more time effective.

How Do Hydraulic Lifts Work?

Hydraulic lifts work on a basic principle. To go up, a pump pushes oil into the cylinder, pushing the piston (which pushes the lift car) up. To go down, the valve opens, and oil returns the reservoir, pushing the piston back using the gravitational force of the lift car.

When the valve closes, the oil can only go from the reservoir into the cylinder. As the valve opens, oil can only flow from the cylinder back into the reservoir.

Can I Create Custom Lift Applications?

Fortunately, creating a custom lift application is easily done through a reliable, lift manufacturing company. Upon deciding which hydraulic cylinders to incorporate in your custom lift application, simply specify the size lift for your business needs. Below are two categories to begin your custom lift creation.

Custom SESM Lifts

Small Equipment Shop Maintenance (SESM) lifts can effectively engage your business in the service and use of smaller equipment. Because SESM lifts can be customized according to your niche applications, they often increase business productivity and overall employee safety. Exploring the custom SESM lift options allows you to safely and efficiently service your equipment in motorcycle shops, ATV dealers, golf cart dealerships, landscape equipment maintenance shops, and other small equipment businesses. Custom SESM lifts are optimal for smaller forklift models.

Custom LESM Lifts

Finding the right hydraulic lift for your large or heavy equipment can be challenging. However, Large Equipment Shop Maintenance (LESM) lifts provide a perfect solution for lifting your heavy objects or any other equipment weighing over 100,000 pounds. To ensure safety and efficiency, you need a custom, reliable hydraulic lift guaranteed to complete a project with ease. When ordering your customized LESM lift, you can specify additional functions and dimensions to best suit your industry needs. Custom SESM lifts are optimal for larger and heavier forklift models.

Custom Hydraulic Solutions to Forklift Maintenance with MLM

Altering the servicing or selling of your equipment to become more compatible with your lifting applications is not an efficient way to run a business. Though some manufacturers create a large supply of standard models, your company should have a customized hydraulic lift to safely and effectively fit your needs.

At MLM Lifts and Manufacturing, we work hard to help each customer create the perfect, custom lifting solution to increase productivity through simple design and operation. We are devoted to listening to your custom lifting needs and providing a reliable product durably made for the long haul.

Do you have any questions or are you interested in learning more about out custom lift applications? Contact us today to receive a quote on your custom order.