Lift Truck Tips: Avoid a common disconnect when configuring attachments

Few fleet managers are content to shoehorn the wrong lift truck into an application, preferring instead to precisely tailor a piece of equipment to the job. It is equally as important to select and configure lift truck attachments with detail in mind. Failure to do so can damage product, productivity, the attachment and the lift truck itself.

An attachment cannot simply be bolted onto a lift truck like a cup holder. Hydraulic fluid pressures and flow rates must be harmonized between the attachment and the lift truck to prevent overheating, excessive clamp force or insufficient force. According to Dick Wiley, manager of business development for Bolzoni-Auramo, new technologies are making such configurations easier while at the same time more severely punishing for improper setups.

“Before, the truck had a certain hydraulic pressure and they just hooked up an attachment and hoped it worked right,” says Wiley, who adds that the larger 800-psi lift cylinders of 20 years ago have been replaced by smaller 3,500-psi cylinders for increased visibility. More flow in newer models also improves lift speeds, as the 7 to 10 gallon per minute (gpm) average of yesteryear has grown to as much as 28 gpm. Wiley says this change means the flow for any normal-sized attachment has to be reduced up to 70%.

“If the flow is too high it causes excessive heat in the truck and the attachment, significantly shortening the life of both,” he says. “I’ve seen examples where the lift truck is so hot you can’t put your hand on the counterweight.”

That kind of heat will melt o-rings and send superheated oil back into the lift truck and its transmission. But as electronics have become embedded in the lift truck, it is now possible to easily adjust the flow and pressure through the onboard computer. This design replaces the need for an additional valve to control flow and heat and can more accurately ensure ratings are not exceeded, even as applications change over time. However, if this kind of adjustment becomes necessary, it’s likely the damage has already been done, both to the equipment and the customer’s perception of its performance.

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” says Wiley. “The first time a paper clamp drops a roll, the customer might believe they selected the wrong equipment. As lift trucks and attachments become more sophisticated, the lines of communication between truck manufacturer, attachment manufacturer, dealer sales and service become imperative.”

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