Forklift Attachments for Improved Warehouse Efficiency

Storing large items and having a big inventory can be cumbersome to sort through, especially in big storage facilities and warehouses. The latter almost always requires the use of some sort of machinery to help load and unload items and sort through them. The most popular type of material handling machinery is the forklift. Forklifts or fork trucks, as people also call them, have been around for quite a while now. With forklifts, the loading and unloading rate on a daily level increases, and using one also helps make your warehouse safer.

This is because no physical labour is needed by the workers themselves, which greatly reduces the risk of injury and level of strain. Forklifts, as well as other access equipment, can help improve workflow and workplace productivity. A forklift isn’t going to do all this by itself though. Certain forklift attachments and accessories are needed in order to make the most out of a forklift.

What Attachments Can Be Used on a Forklift?

Cages

If you’re going to use a forklift to carry out items at a certain height, you should consider investing in a forklift cage. If you need someone to change a bulb high up, a cage is a great solution for this. This type of solid forklift attachment makes for a safe platform for goods as well as personnel.

Platform

If you need a platform that is specially made for workers to be on for longer periods of time, then go for a safe work platform. This type of attachment can be lifted by the forks and it comes with rails to keep workers safe.

Basket

Similar to cages, baskets are made to provide the utmost protection when you need to have someone perform repairs high up. A man basket is usually made to accommodate about 400kg of weight. This means you can have more than one person in it. Man baskets come with handrails too.

Forks

A forklift may already have forks but sometimes you may require extended forks. If you need the forks of your forklift to be capable of lifting larger loads, then you should get extended forks. These forklift accessories provide a larger surface for the item to be placed on whilst being as strong as the stock forks. You can also get telescopic forks which increase versatility. Telescopic forks allow you to use the forklift for reaching and lifting large loads, and they also come with different features, such as mast height extensions and manually extendable forks.

Clamps

If you’re someone who works within the papermaking and/or printing industry you will definitely need to get paper roll clamps. These types of clamps are made to help you carry around big paper rolls without damaging them. You can also rotate the rolls 360° when carrying them with the clamps.

Side Shifters

If you want to move a load from side to side using your forklift, then you should consider investing in quality side shifters. These allow you to load a pallet faster and thus, reduce fuel usage as well as pallet damage. This is because side shifters allow you to make small adjustments to the alignment of the pallet.

Push/Pull

A push/pull forklift attachment is a cost-effective solution that allows you to handle goods without the use of pallets. The inexpensive slip sheet found on push/pull attachments also helps reduce packaging weight and allows you to handle goods easily, too. The attachment can be removed quite easily as well, so when you need to use a pallet you don’t have to fiddle around as much.

Rotator

With a fork rotator, you’ll easily reposition or dump lopsided pallets without needing specialised lift trucks or additional personnel. There are also different types of rotators available such as box and container rotators.

Single-Double Pallet Handler

As the name suggests, this type of accessory is used to carry pallets. With a single-double pallet handler, you get four forks which means you can carry up to two pallets at a time.

Positioner

A fork positioned enables you to move the forks either away from each other or closer to each other. This lets the user align the forks, which can be extremely useful when handling unevenly sized items.

Self-Dumping Hopper

With a self-dumping hopper attachment, you can pick up and transport heavy items without the risk of tipping. This accessory is used in many different industries, but it’s is especially common in construction and warehousing.

Load Stabiliser

Attaching a load stabiliser is going to make it safer and easier for you to transport items that are placed higher up on the forks. Even when items are placed on uneven surfaces, you can count on a load stabiliser to ensure both your safety and the safety of the item you’re transporting.

Jibs

If you want to use your forklift as a crane, you should definitely get yourself a forklift jib. The boom of these jibs is secured to the mast with retaining bolts, and the crane hook it comes with can be used at different heights.