A forklift is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances. The forklift was developed in the early 20th century by various companies, including Clark, which made transmissions, and Yale & Towne Manufacturing, which made hoists. Since World War II, the use and development of the forklift truck have greatly expanded worldwide. Forklifts have become an indispensable piece of equipment in manufacturing and warehousing. In 2013, the top 20 manufacturers worldwide posted sales of $30.4 billion, with 944,405 machines sold.
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist rope, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It is mainly used for lifting heavy things and transporting them to other places. The device uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of a human. Cranes are commonly employed in transportation for the loading and unloading of freight, in construction for the movement of materials, and in manufacturing for the assembling of heavy equipment.
An overhead crane, commonly called a bridge crane, is a type of crane found in industrial environments. An overhead crane consists of parallel runways with a traveling bridge spanning the gap. A hoist, the lifting component of a crane, travels along the bridge. If the bridge is rigidly supported on two or more legs running on a fixed rail at ground level, the crane is called a gantry crane or a goliath crane.
Demag Cranes AG is a German heavy equipment manufacturer now controlled by Japan-based Tadano via a $215 million deal. The roots of Demag date back prior to its formation, but became Märkische Maschinenbau-Anstalt, Ludwig A.-G in 1906 as the biggest crane building company in Germany employing 250-300 people. The company was a manufacturer of industrial cranes that included types like, bridge cranes, hoist (device), overhead cranes, Gantry crane to name a few. In 1910 came the hour of the Deutsche Maschinenfabrik in Duisburg – known worldwide by its telegram abbreviation Demag. In 1973 The Mannesmann group assumed ownership of Demag. Since that time the company has continued to grow and change. Parts of the company under core business structuring moved from its ownership to focus the main concept of the company.
A hoist is a device used for lifting or lowering a load by means of a drum or lift-wheel around which rope or chain wraps. It may be manually operated, electrically or pneumatically driven and may use chain, fiber or wire rope as its lifting medium. The most familiar form is an elevator, the car of which is raised and lowered by a hoist mechanism. Most hoists couple to their loads using a lifting hook. Today, there are a few governing bodies for the North American overhead hoist industry which include the Hoist Manufactures Institute, ASME, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. HMI is a product counsel of the Material Handling Industry of America consisting of hoist manufacturers promoting safe use of their products.
Konecranes Oyj is a Finnish company, headquartered in Hyvinkää, which specialises in the manufacture and service of cranes and lifting equipment. Konecranes products are made for industries handling heavy loads meaning ports, intermodal terminals, shipyards and bulk material terminals.
Material handling equipment (MHE) is mechanical equipment used for the movement, storage, control and protection of materials, goods and products throughout the process of manufacturing, distribution, consumption and disposal. The different types of handling equipment can be classified into four major categories: transport equipment, positioning equipment, unit load formation equipment, and storage equipment.
Material handling involves short-distance movement within the confines of a building or between a building and a transportation vehicle. It uses a wide range of manual, semi-automated, and automated equipment and includes consideration of the protection, storage, and control of materials throughout their manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. Material handling can be used to create time and place utility through the handling, storage, and control of waste, as distinct from manufacturing, which creates form utility by changing the shape, form, and makeup of material.
Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. ("MCFA"), headquartered in Houston, Texas is a manufacturer and distributor of material handling equipment and parts under the Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, Cat Lift Trucks, and Jungheinrich brand names. MCFA also owns the rights to Towmotor brand name, and manufactures under it. MCFA is ISO 9001-2000 certified and has obtained compliance certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). MCFA provides a full line of forklifts with complete sales and product support through more than 400 dealer locations throughout the United States, Canada and Latin America.
The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) was founded in 1956 and promotes the design and construction of metal building systems in the low-rise, non-residential building marketplace. A non-profit trade organization, MBMA's headquarters is in Cleveland, Ohio. The organization consists of building system members, who are certified according to standards which have been set by the International Accreditation Service of the International Code Council, and associate members, who work in the metal building industry. MBMA has a General Manager, and it has a Chairman and Board of Directors who are elected by members on an annual basis.
Joy Global Inc. was a company that manufactured and serviced heavy equipment used in the extraction and haulage of coal and minerals in both underground and surface mining. The company had manufacturing facilities in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, Australia, Canada, China, France, South Africa and the United Kingdom. In 2017, Joy Global was acquired by Komatsu Limited and was renamed Komatsu Mining Corp.
Engineered Lifting Systems & Equipment Inc (ELS) is a Canadian manufacturing company specializing in standard and custom overhead material lifting systems and equipment. ELS was founded in by Jim Muir in Waterloo, Ontario and its headquarters is currently located in Elmira, Ontario.
The Green Mover Max was the first 100% low-floor articulated Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) to be built entirely in Japan. It was developed jointly by Kinki Sharyo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Toyo Electric Co., and introduced first in Hiroshima by the Hiroshima Electric Railway Company (Hiroden). It replaced Hiroden's ailing fleet of Siemens Combinos in 2005.
The European Materials Handling Federation, is the association representing material handling, lifting and storage equipment manufacturers in Europe.
Joseph Booth & Bros was an English company notable for making cranes used in large construction projects.
The College-Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE) is an academic/industry council of the Material Handling Industry (MHI) that promotes increased awareness of material handling and logistics through a variety of educational and research activities. CICMHE was founded in 1952 and has served to connect practitioners with academics that teach and do research in material handling.
Electric overhead traveling crane or EOT crane is one of the most common types of overhead crane, also called bridge cranes, which consist of parallel runways with a traveling bridge spanning the gap. EOT cranes are normally powered by electricity.
Electrification and controls technology are devices that control, service and enhance productivity of industrial handling. Controls interface with hardware such as receivers, cranes, hoists, etc., through a network in order to ensure that equipment operates safely and effectively. Controls are used in virtually every industry from automotive to food to chemical. Examples of these devices include, but are not limited to:
A patented track crane is a crane with a bottom flange of hardened steel and a raised tread to improve rolling.
