You may have heard of pallets but have you heard of pallet trolleys? If you are not in the warehousing business then you may not have. They come under many guises including pallet jacks, pallet trolleys, pump trucks, and many other names. It may seem mundane but pallet trucks are an essential part of industrial work and can save a business money, and save workers from hurting themselves.
Read on to find out more about pallet lifters and their usage.
What are Pallet Trolleys?
The pallet trolleys themselves are items of machinery used in warehouses. They first came into being in around 1918 and as said before, have many names. They are a tool used to moved and lift pallets. Pallets are most commonly used to transport cargo from supplier to warehouse. Pallet trolleys are a more basic form of the common forklift and manual pallet jacks are better suited to lifting lighter pallets. That said, electric pallet jacks can lift a much larger weight.
How do they work?
The machines work using hydraulic jack system. The pallet trolley is steered by a lever that also acts as a pump handle that is the mechanism to raise the forks at the front of the pallet trolleys. When the hydraulic fluid is released using the handle, the forks are lowered. The pallets that are lifted are only raised just enough to clear the floor when they are being transported around the warehouse.
What types of Pallet Trolleys can you get?
There are two main categories or Pallet Jacks. These are electric and manual.
The manual pallet trolleys depend entirely on being pushed and using the handle. They are simply entered into the chosen pallet and then the forks are raised using said handle. The pallet(s) can then be transported.
Electric pallet trucks can often lift larger weights. They can move backwards and forwards, as well as up and down. They can reach much higher heights than a manual pallet trolley could depend on the model you invest in.
Any interesting facts?
Many people do not realise that across Europe and Asia the modern size of a pallet has been standardised in dimension. It is very similar in North America also. Despite the standardisation in the size of the pallet, the pallet trucks themselves are similar but not exactly the same in Europe/Asia.
However, in America, the pallet trolleys industry has been completely standardised and the dimensions of pallet jacks are essentially identical.
In the United Kingdom, there are many great companies to acquire pallet jacks from. One of these is LLM Handling. The company have a great reputation for providing quality equipment that will last for a long time. They have a huge range of pallet trolleys and jacks to choose from.