For forklifts these days, there are many attachment options offered. Nearly all attachments are made to be utilized on regular forklifts and are made to be used on VNA and reach trucks. It is essential to note that OSHA needs approval for any attachment which must be approved for use by the specific lift truck manufacturer.
The most essential common attachment is the sideshift and is considered to be standard equipment. The sideshift device allows the fork carriage to slide right and left as well as allow for more accurate load positioning. The sideshift allows the operator to be more versatile with the machine.
Fork positioners are an attachment choice that allows the operator to adjust the forks' distance from the cab of the truck. This specific attachment is mostly used in high volume operations where there is a wide array of pallet and crate sizes handled.
Fork pivots makes it possible for the forks and carriage to pivot and rotate. These attachments can be specially designed for dumping and transporting hoppers. These attachments are very helpful for various industrial applications.
The slip sheet attachment is used to slip sheets of paperboard, or plastic or a sheet of cardboard that is utilized rather than pallets. The slip sheet attachments utilize a push and pull mechanism that clamps onto the slip sheet and pulls the cargo onto a thin platform. Afterwards, the load is pushed off the platform when the truck reaches the destination.
Drum attachments are available in many shapes and sizes, with some models able to handle 55 gallon drums. There are some smaller versions of a paper roll clamps that go around the roll and also are capable of a full 360 degree rotation. There are other drum attachments that are able to pick up a range of drums all simultaneously.
Another option is tilt control, which enables the operator to preset the fork tilt angles. For extensions slide over the forks to help pick up and transport longer loads. The Carton clamp operates like a paper roll clamp except instead of being round, the clamping surface is flat.