For forklifts these days, there are numerous attachment options available. The majority of attachments are made to be used on standard forklifts and are made to be used on VNA and reach trucks. It is important to note that OSHA requires approval for any attachment that should be approved for use by the specific manufacturer of lift truck.
The most essential common attachment is the sideshift and is considered to be standard equipment. The sideshift apparatus allow for more accurate load placement as well as enables the fork carriage to slide right and left. The sideshift allows the operator to be more versatile with the machine.
Fork positioners are an attachment option that enables the operator to adjust the distance between the forks from the cab of the truck. This particular attachment is mostly used in high volume operations where there is a wide variety of pallet and crate sizes handled.
Fork pivots makes it possible for the carriage and forks to pivot and rotate. These attachments could be specially designed for dumping and transporting hoppers. These attachments are really useful for many industrial operations.
Slip sheet attachments are a different attachment that are utilized where slip sheets which is a paperboard, or plastic or a sheet of cardboard which are utilized instead of pallets. The slip sheet attachments use a push and pull mechanism which clamps onto the slip sheet and pulls the load onto a thin platform. Afterward, the load is pushed off the platform when the truck reaches the destination.
Drum handling attachments come in many different designs. They are various models attached to handle 55 gallon drums. There are several smaller versions of a paper roll clamps which go around the roll and also could rotate a full 360 degrees. There are other drum attachments which could pick up a range of drums all at once.
Tilt control is one more option that allows you to preset fork tilt angles. The fork extensions are specialized extensions which slide over the existing forks on the truck in order to help you lift and transport longer loads. The Carton clamp operates similar to a paper roll clamp except rather than being circular, the clamping surface is flat.