FORKLIFT BLADES

What to know about Forklift Blades...

       Forklift blades are one of those common components of industry that for some reason manages to allude us in establishment of common vocabulary. Referred to in different circles as forks, forklift tines, forklift blades, forklift teeth, etc. they are essentially the load bearing components on the front of standard configuration forklifts. Not only can we in the industry not come to a singular mind on what to call Forklift Blades, outside of the ITA/FEM Standard for Hook Type Blades (sometimes called Pin Type Blades) we have yet to see a standardization of design in how to affix the forks to the front of a Forklift and any number of other dimensions of the ever-so-simple, yet ever-so-complex forklift blade. The Following is an attempt to provide a reference for the layman in selecting and ordering new or replacement forks:

ITA Hook Type Forklift Blades:

Hook-ITA Blade classes are the same world -wide under ISO standards.  The standard FEM hook style forklift blades come in two types, “A’ & “B”.  The difference in the types reflect differences in the ground-to-carriage  distance when the mast id fully lowered.  Type “A” is primarily  used for indoor and many outdoor trucks.  Type “B” is primarily intended for outdoor trucks.  However, the applications  can be interchangeable.  Type “B” blades can replace type “A” blades, but not vice-versa because the type “A” would not reach the ground.

In North America, classes are designated by Roman numerals. The rest of the world uses Arabic numbers.

Hook Type Forklift Blade Classes:

Class I is forklifts up to 1,999 LB at 24” load center

Class II is forklifts rated 2,000 LB through 5,500 LB @ 24” load center

Class III is forklifts rated  6,000 LB  to 10,000 LB @ 24”  load center

Class IV is forklifts rated 10,000 LB to 17,500 LB @ 24” load center

Class V is forklifts rated from 17,500 LB to 24,000 LB at 24” load center

If unsure, measure the carriage height from top edge to bottom edge:

Class I:  13”

Class II:  16”

Class III:  20”

Class IV:  25”

Class V:  28.67”

Under-Clearance by type:

Class I a                3”                                         Class I b               4.5”

Class II a              3”                                          Class II b              6”

Class III a             3”                                          Class III b             8”

Class IV a             5”                                          Class IV b             10”

Class V a              5”                                          Class V b              10.12”  

Rough terrain trucks will possibly have higher under-clearance, but not always.

High Under-Clearance Forklift Blades:
Popular in many Euro and Asian brand trucks since many of those are standard with solid “pneumatic” tires so they can be indoor-outdoor trucks.  

Pin Type Forklift Blades:   

Pin type forklift blades have no standard shape or size. They vary from OEM to OEM and by trucks within a brand.  Because of this we ask many questions of customers. We use 2 drawings to gain dimensional data needed to make the forks to fit.  These tell us where the fork tubes are located. The most important dimension is the location of the tube center in relation to the rear face of the tine shank. This dimension tells us the “offset” or “inset”  of the tube, or whether it is “in-line.”

In relation to the rear face of the fork shank, offset means the tube center is located toward the driver.  Inset means the tube center is located toward the load.  In line means the center is directly above the rear face.  

Piggy-Back Forklift Blades:  

There is a type of forklift that is mounted on the rear of trailers and is carried to building sites to unload the flatbed.  These are called “piggy-back” forklifts.  

Block or Brick  Forklift Blades : 

Block forklift blades are  narrow blades, usually used in multiples, that enter the openings of concrete blocks that are turned on their sides. A layer of these blocks is used as the actual load carrying pallet in unit loads of blocks.  

Lumber or Plywood  Forklift Blades :

Lumber forklift blades or Full-Tapered forklift blades or Full-Taper and Polished forklift blades are made with a typical maximum thickness of 1.5 inches and in various widths, depending on the load weight.  They are all made as full bottom taper forklift blades, meaning the taper runs from the tip , back to approx. 2 inches from the bend.  The top of the forklift blades is polished, unpainted, for ease of entry and exit.  Tips are thin with a top chamfer for chiseling between plywood sheets and the tips are squared off, not rounded, to assist the chiseling effort. When these forks become very wide, they can block the driver’s visibility.  Therefore, a  “peek-a-boo”  forklift blades is used. This forklift blades has a shank that is thicker than the blade. At a certain distance above ground level the shank narrows to allow the driver better visibility.

Gypsum Forklift Blades:
Gypsum forklift blades are forks having a tall shank that extends very high above the top hook. To this shank, a synthetic covering, usually replaceable, is added.

Coil  Forklift Blades :

Coil forklift blades are used to handle steel or other coiled materials.  These forklift blades are made with the top corners of the blades chamfered or radiused to prevent scoring or denting of the inner layers.  When both forks are used together in the core, only the top outer corners need this shape. If each forklift blades is used to handle one coil each, then both top corners of the forklift blades are chamfered.

Kiss Forklift Blades:
Kiss forklift blades are used to handle coils and are made with a bend in the lower shank. The bend shapes the forklift blades shank so that even though the shanks are separated, they offset toward each other so that the blades “kiss” each other. The tines are then used in the core of the coil. The reason for this offset is that the center vertical support bar of the pin type carriage on which they are used does not allow the forks to touch. The standard width from outside to outside of the forks when fully closed down may be too wide for the  core.

Tire  Forklift Blades :

Tire forklift blades are tines having a full length bevel along the inner face of the fork.  This bevel is used to allow the forklift blades to slide under the tread of a tire or stack of tires for damage prevention and stability during handling.  Tire forklift blades have a blunt tip and no bottom taper.

 

Folding  Forklift Blades :

Folding forklift blades fold up against the shank. They are used to shorten the overall length of a forklift. Uses could be in space restricted areas like elevators, or on forklifts that are transported on the platforms built onto the rear of flatbed trailers.  Minimum thickness of these forklift blades is 2 inches and they are mostly in class II or III hook configurations.

Spark Retardant  Forklift Blades :

Spark retardant forklift blades  are used in hazardous operations where spark-proof forklifts are used or where sparks may caused combustion/explosion.  These forklift blades are brass coated both on the blade and the face and sides of the shank.  The brass is usually 1/8” thick and perhaps a little thicker on the bottom for wear resistance.  The brass cladding is a weldment made to fit tightly onto the tine. It is not removable. Stainless steel cladding can be used for applications where sanitary requirements are prevalent:  Pharmaceutical, Beverage, food processing, where the fork is exposed to the product in the manufacturing process.

Drum Forklift Blades: 
Drum forklift blades are tines having the inside of the blade radiused to match the wall of a standard steel 55 gallon drum. This design is used on forklift blades positioners and pallet fork clamps. These cut-out tines can be configured as one cut-out on each forklift blade to handle single drums or two drums side by side, or two cut-outs per forklift blade to handle two drums or four drums. The thickness of these forklift blades should be increased due to a loss of capacity caused by the radius cuts.