What is the lifting capacity of the most powerful forklift?
Forklift trucks are probably one of the most useful vehicles that you can find on a building site. Designed to effortlessly lift and reposition cumbersome and heavy loads, forklifts are indispensable when it comes to material handling for all kinds of industries.
There are many different types of forklifts that are available for various purposes, all of which do a similar job – shifting heavy loads. This article is going to look at the upper end of lifting capacities for forklifts and learn about how lifting capacities are measured in forklifts. We will also find out what is the lifting capacity of the most powerful forklift. Read on to find out more…
How do you measure the most powerful forklift?
There are a number of measurements that need to be considered when trying to find the most powerful forklift truck. We will go over each of these measurements below before discussing the different types of forklift trucks available.
Forklift capacity in tons
The capacity of a forklift in tons is the maximum weight that a forklift will be able to safely carry. You can find forklift-specific information about maximum capacity on the load capacity data plate, which we will discuss later. It is strongly advised to never go beyond this limit as it is likely to cause machine failure.
The load centre of the forklift
The load centre details the maximum size of your cargo’s centre of gravity. Again, this should never go over the maximum limit for the forklift as it increases the chances of the forklift tipping over. There are ways around this if you need to carry a load that is greater than your load centre, but it requires a new load capacity calculation.
Additional equipment and attachments
Many forklifts can be fitted with attachments to offer improved functionality. These attachments can change the figures of load capacities and load centres, though, so you will need to consider this. It is a good idea to double-check any documentation from the attachment in question, as this should tell you about any changes to the maximum load capacity or load centre.
Lifting height
There should be two figures to look at when working on a forklift with a high mast – low height and maximum height capacities. These two lift heights will tell a forklift operator the best way to operate a forklift at low-level heavy loads as well as higher-level light loads.
The load capacity data plate
A load capacity data plate is a crucial component that contains all of the important carrying information about a forklift truck. The data plate should help operators use the forklift safely by instructing them about different mast positions, load capacities, load centre points, maximum lift weights and other details about the type of forklift.
Sometimes, the load capacity data plate might contain additional information about capacity down ratings and limits for specific attachments. To give you a good idea, we have outlined different forklift trucks and their load capacities below.
Reach forklift trucks
A reach truck can safely lift loads up to 2,500 kg. If the reach truck is a three-wheeler, then it might only be able to safely carry around 2,000 kg.
Four-wheel forklifts
For four-wheel reach trucks, you will be able to lift a greater load due to more power. Unlike three-wheel forklift trucks, which are normally powered by electricity, four-wheel forklifts can run on petrol, diesel or propane. This allows for a bigger load capacity of up to 3,600 kg.
Turret trucks
Turret trucks are powered by an electric motor, but they can carry a heavy load of up to 3,600 kg.
Rough terrain forklifts
Rough terrain forklifts are designed for harsh environments and can run on diesel, petrol or compressed gas. With a high capacity load of up to 16,000 kg, this is an incredibly powerful machine.
What is the lifting capacity of the most powerful forklift?
Now that we understand how lifting capacity is measured, we can attempt to answer the question about the highest capacity forklift.
In 1991, Swedish forklift manufacturer Kalmar LMV unveiled three new counterbalanced forklift trucks with astounding lifting loads. These hulking machines could lift up to 72,000 kg at a dizzyingly high load centre of 2.4 metres.
These true titans of forklifts were designed to help complete a man-made river that required multiple pipelines that ran over 620 miles in length. The Kalmar DCG720-10LB is the most powerful forklift truck in the world, with a lifting capacity of up to 72 tonnes.
Find a forklift for your needs
If you would like to know more about our range of forklift trucks at Radnes, speak with us today. Our team of specialists can help find the perfect forklift truck for your needs from top names such as Hyster-Yale, Caterpillar and Hangcha. Our services extend throughout the South East of England including London, Surrey and Kent.
Contact us at Radnes today for more information.
