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 A fork lift boom is a fork truck attachment that is fastened to the forks of the vehicle at its base and extends forward in the form of a large, cylindrical, powerful arm. This arm has at least one hook point used to attach to the top of items it is used to lift and move. The intention of the attachment boom is to extend the reach of a forklift and allow it to pick up loads that it otherwise could not safely handle. In application, it combines the functionality of any standard fork truck with the lifting and placement capability of a small crane.
When safely operated, booms are very easy to use. Forklift tines fit inside the fork pockets that are located in the base of the boom.
Fork lift booms fit directly over the tines on a forklift. They are then secured with chains or clamps. In basic models, the boom simply extends in from the front of the fork truck. More complex lines are built with a vertical riser that will lift the far end of the boom, just like crane. Different types of booms are either fixed length or telescoping. Some models pivot from side to side; others remain pointed toward the front of the forklift at all times.
Fork lift booms are used to lift heavy objects that are not secured to pallets. In particular, they have proven to be extremely useful in lifting barrels and heavy sections of pipe that cannot be safely loaded onto flat surfaces or secured efficiently to forklift tines. Boom attachments are sometimes used to lift other types of materials off the backs of flat rail cars and flatbed truck trailers. Not only do they provide just the right amount of vertical lift for this task, but the fact that they are attached to a forklift makes it possible to quickly move these items to storage areas or processing areas.
Booms can also be used to lift heavy crates and sheet metal to higher elevation floors and building roof tops. This accounts for their popularity in the construction industry, because crews can often get building supplies much more quickly than they would if they had to wait on them to be transported to and from freight elevators. Additionally, many of the longer sections of pipe and tubing cannot be transported in typical freight elevators. Crates can also be moved with booms inside a warehouse, especially those that can be stacked on top of one another.
Investing in fork lift booms offers a number of advantages of standard forklifts, pallet jacks, and cranes? Doing so can save a considerable amount of money compared to the cost of most cranes. The vertical lift capability of a boom gives it far more versatility than the limited vertical reach of a fork truck, and definitely more than a pallet truck. Additionally, objects that are not flat on the bottom can be outright dangerous cannot be moved safely with pallet jacks or fork lifts. In low-rise construction, nothing is more utilitarian than a boom attachment that can quickly move materials to higher floors or rooftops. Since it only takes one licensed fork truck driver to operate a boom, man power and man hours can be invested in other activities.
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