The Function of Forklift Lights

Forklift lights are essential and there are many different types of forklift safety lights depending on the types of use or operation you enter. Because of all of the combinations of lights that can end up on a forklift, it can get confusing to understand the function of each. Let’s explore if you need a forklift light, the meaning of what a forklift light communicates when lit, and how forklift lights can be part of a safe working environment.


CAT Forklift photo by permatt.com

The most common lights on a forklift are headlights and tail lights. When they are configured on a forklift, headlights are located on the front of the forklift and tail lights are located on the rear or back of the forklift. Three other common forklift lighting accessories useful in a wide variety of operations are strobe lights, blue pedestrian spotlights, and red side pedestrian lights. When they are included on a forklift, these lights are usually located on the back, front and side are are intended to increase the safety in forklift operation.

Do you need any of these forklift lights? The short answer is: it depends. The optional lights you put on your forklifts will depend on your specific operation.

Types of Forklift Lights

Forklift Headlights

OSHA regulation 1910.178(h)(2) states that when general lighting is less than 2 lumens per square foot, auxiliary light shall be provided on the truck. In other words, if you have poor lighting or operate outdoors or at night, you need headlights.



Forklift headlights can also help visibility in low-light environments. They can also help pedestrians and other forklift operators see the truck in poorly lit environments

Forklift Tail or Brake Lights

Forklifts are usually equipped with tail or brake lights as well. But if a forklift did not come from the manufacturer equipped with tail/brake lights, OSHA does not require you to retrofit your truck.

When lit, Tail/brake lights on a forklift indicate that the forklift is currently in use. These lights allow the forklift to be visible from the rear. Tail/brake lights might be useful in forklift operations where there is a great deal of vehicle and foot traffic, helping to inform those behind a forklift of slowing speed or abrupt stops.

Forklift Strobe Lights, Blue Spotlights, and Red Side Pedestrian Lights

Strobe lights, blue spotlights, and red side lights on a forklift are not required by OSHA, but adding these lights can help support good safety practices in some work environments, and are generally meant as an approach or warning light.

Strobe lights can illuminate when a forklift is in operation or in reverse and serve as an additional visual indicator that a forklift could begin movement, change speeds, or alter directions quickly. While not useful for safe practices in all operations, different strobe light configurations can enhance safety in certain applications.

Blue pedestrian spotlights are also optional pieces of equipment that may enhance safety in some environments. Where blind intersections are prevalent in an operation, a blue pedestrian safety light can warn other operators and pedestrians in the facility of an approaching forklift.

The Red Side Pedestrian Light projects two red beams on each side of the forklift to illuminate lines that pedestrians need to stay behind when approaching the sides. The Red Side Light may lower the chances of getting hit by the rear end swing of a turning lift truck.

It’s important to note that strobe lights, blue spotlights, and red side pedestrian lights might not be the best choice for some applications. In fact, there are some instances where the use of these optional lights can actually reduce safety. This simply means that you need to take the time to carefully and accurately assess your working environment before deciding what lights should be placed on your forklift.

A Brief History of Cranes

For thousands of years mankind has sought new ways to lift heavy things. There is evidence of the world’s first ever crane-like device being used to raise building stones in Greece around 500 BC. Cranes first appeared in literature in the writings of Aristotle about 200 years later.



The Romans expanded the Greek concept of a combined pulley and jib, and continued to modify it from a 3-pulley to a multi-pulley design to lift heavier loads.



Power for these early cranes was sheer human strength. The largest early cranes, with multiple work crews and complex rope-and-pulley arrangements, were capable of lifting architectural features, like cap stones weighing over 55 tons.

The Middle Ages And Renaissance

The next great advance in crane technology came during the Middle Ages when treadwheel cranes were used to make vertical lifts in industrial settings like mines and harbors, as well as in the construction of the great cathedrals.



As the name implies, the “treadwheel” was powered by an individual or several workers walking within a large wheel, much the way a hamster’s exercise wheel works. The treadwheel crane is mentioned in literature as early as 1225 AD, and the use of flywheels to ensure a smooth lift and eliminate “dead spots” was documented as early as 1123 AD. Most early cranes were designed primarily for vertical movement, with only limited lateral movement provided by guide ropes.



While Renaissance era cranes became more complex, requiring increased coordination and discipline among work crews, they continued to be plagued by the mechanical limitations of their predecessors: limited lateral control, uneven application of force, and extreme stresses on ropes.

The Industrial Era

The introduction of iron and steel to the industrial environment did much to help bring crane technology into the modern age. Equally important was the replacement of human power, first with steam, and then later with diesel, electrical motors, and modern hydraulics. Railroads harnessed the power of steam to power cranes on “wreck trains”, used to lift derailed locomotives and rolling stock back onto the rails.



Steam powered gantry cranes were used in the construction of locomotives as early as the 1870s, moving heavy boilers, fireboxes, and other components above the manufacturing floor and lowering them into place.

The CAT 789D Mining Truck From Hell at Coal Face Fire!

Blair Athol Coal Mine at Clermont, New South Wales, Australia, 14 Jan. 2004. Dynamite Is Used To Loosen The Coal For Collection By Powerful Electric Shovels.



But Heat From The Explosion and An Exposed Coal Seam Can Sometimes Be A Bad Combination. Fire erupts from the coal face... What do you do with a burning coal face? You ship it! Transport that danger away in a CAT 789D Mining Truck!



Perhaps 2 or 3 runs will be required to move all the flaming cargo from the Coal Face - sprayed with water in the safe area - the coal seam and mine will now be safe.

CAT 789D Mining Truck Specifications

Caterpillar's exclusive design ownership provides advantages by creating a total hauling unit that delivers the best integration of high production, availability, and payload in combination with low operating cost and long life.



The Cat 789D continues the tradition of Caterpillar's proven 789 Truck with high productivity and lowest in class cost per ton.

• Engine Model - 3516C - HD.
• Net Power- 1468.0 kW.
• Gross Power - 1566.0 kW.
• Rated Net Power (ISO 9249) - 1468.0 kW.
• Gross Machine Operating Weight (GMW) - 324319.0 kg.
• Body Weight Range - 23 920 kg-45 547 kg (52,850 lb-100,414 lb).
• Empty Operating Chassis Weight (EOCW) - 99129.0 kg.
• Nominal Payload Capacity - 181.0 ton (US).
• Standard Combi Body (SAE 2:1) - 153.0 m³.
• Standard Dual Slope Body (SAE 2:1) - 108.0 m³.
• Standard Gateless Coal Body (SAE 2:1) - 191.0 m³.
• Standard MSD Body (SAE 2:1) - 130.0 m³.
• Standard X Body (SAE 2:1) - 123.0 m³.
• Transmission Forward 1 - 12.6 km/h.
• Transmission Forward 6 - 57.2 km/h.
• Transmission Reverse - 11.8 km/h.
• Standard Tires - 37.00-R57.
• Optional Tires - 40.00-R57.
• Steering Angle - 36.07 °.
• Turning Diameter (Front Wheel) - 27.53 m.
• Vehicle Clearance (Turn Circle) - 30.23 m.
• Steering Standards - SAE J1511 OCT90 ISO 5010:1992.

History of Mining at Blair Athol Coal

History of Mining at Blair Athol Coal (BAC) is located approximately 25km north-west of Clermont and 240km south-west of Mackay in Central Queensland. BAC produces 11mtpa of export quality steaming coal, all of which is mined from the 30m thick Number 3 Seam. The coal is mined using 2 x P&H 2100 electric shovels and a fleet of 6 x Caterpillar 789 rear-dump trucks.

Dolph Lundgren gives Excavators a workout!

Watch Movie star Dolph Lundgren pump up a group of excavators and have them do things you never thought an excavator could do. Volvo excavators perform hard work every day at construction sites all over the world. From the smallest compact excavators just over one tonne to the biggest crawler excavators with an operating weight exceeding 90 tonnes. A tough job that requires power and endurance together with skilled operators. But are our excavators as good as we say?



Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has teamed up with Swedish star Dolph Lundgren to showcase the ultimate in excavator endurance in stunt-filled mini-movie Pump It Up.
This test was made to challenge that and everything in this video is carried out for real, without any help from other machines or equipment. Safety rigs were used though, but only to secure the safety of our operators and the rest of the team. The result? Watch for yourself. But without spoiling, we can say that our excavators are more pumped up than ever. Pumped up to meet any challenges there are. Please comment, like and share.



Filmed in Kjula, Eskilstuna, Sweden in a closed-off quarry. Soundtrack by Technotronic: Pump Up The Jam

XGC88000 - World's biggest Crawler Crane, 4,000 tons

Chinese manufacturer XCMG has begun building the 3,600-plus ton capacity XGC88000, which is targeted for work at petrochemical, coal, chemical and nuclear power construction. It was jointly developed with Chinese oil company Sinopec (China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation) following an agreement signed in 2010.



The XGC88000 follows the 1,000- and 2,000-metric ton capacity models previously launched, the latter shown at the 2010 Bauma China exhibition in Shanghai.

XGC88000 Crawler Crane Specifications

Max. Load Moment	88,000 kN.m
Max. Boom Length	120 m
Max. Jib Length	153 m
Engine	3 x 641 kW
XGC88000 Crane Dimensions
Transport Length	13,000 mm
Transport Width	3,500 mm
Transport Height	3,400 mm

In the morning of 5th July 2013, the XGC88000 performed its first job in Yantai, a joint effort between XCMG and Sinopec. The viewing stand is crowded with over 100 projects leaders and guest from both companies to witness the debut of the hoisting of the propylene tower in Wanhua Industrial Park.

Anatomy of a CAT Forklift

CAT Forklifts have many moving parts and pieces that allow the forklift to operate properly. Understanding the terminology of the lift truck parts and anatomy of a forklift is important for effective communication with others while on the job.

CAT Forklift Mast

The forklift mast is the raised vertical support that allows loads to be raised and lowered. For most forklifts, the mast is designed toward the front of a forklift and directly in the forklift operator’s line of vision.



Forklift masts come with various sections that elevate or lower the fork carriage along with the forks. These include:

• Duplex: Two mast stages
• Triplex: Three mast stages
• Quad: Four mast sections

When selecting a forklift, it is important to familiarize yourself with the different features and terminology of a forklift mast: the mast’s lift height, the free lift height and the extended height and the lowered height. This will allow you to select a forklift that is designed to fulfill the specific needs of your applications.

For more information on forklift masts, read our article Forklift Mast Types.

CAT Forklift Hydraulic Lift Cylinder

The forklift lift cylinder powers the vertical movement of the mast, or the raising or lowering of the forklift carriage and the forks. The lift cylinder is generally hydraulically powered and is a single-acting hydraulic cylinder, meaning it pushes in one direction.

CAT Forklift Tilt Cylinder

Similar to the lift cylinder, the tilt cylinder controls movement for operation purposes. The key difference is that the tilt cylinder controls the tilt movement of the carriage and the angle of the forks relative to the ground.

CAT Forklift Carriage

The carriage is a platform located in front of the forklift mast that is used to mount objects to be controlled by the mast. This includes the forks of the forklift, the load backrest and other features of a forklift truck that come in direct contact with the loads.

CAT Forklift Forks

Also known as the tynes, the forks on a forklift are used to make direct contact with a load for transport. They are attached to the forklift carriage and are designed to carry a load from the bottom. Forklift forks come in all shapes and sizes.



There is a wide variety of fork types available for various applications. Standard ITA forks are the most common type of forklift forks, but they too come in various widths, lengths and shapes.

Is the Catalytic Converter Important? How Catalytic Converters Work

If you’re interested in vehicles as well as keeping our Earth safe, you may be interested in learning more about catalytic converters and how these important devices help to combat against pollution. These devices are a great way to help keep the air around us clean. While this is a hot topic, many people have questions about the use of catalytic converters. Take a look at the following information to learn more about catalytic converters.

What is a catalytic converter?

A catalytic converter is a device that helps to turn toxic byproducts found in an engine into less toxic substances through the use of chemical reactions.



As a car runs, the catalytic converter turns pollutants into less harmful substances before they leave a vehicle through the exhaust pipe. This can help to clean up the air significantly!

Are catalytic converters only found in standard automobiles?

No! While they are found in standard automobiles, they are also in many other machines. This includes buses, trucks, motorcycles, and forklifts, just to name a few. Think of all the vehicles that exist and how much pollution they cause. To combat the pollution, many machines utilize catalytic converters.

Catalytic converter fail?

Yes! There can be a variety of issues with a catalytic converter. For example, a converter can become clogged. A bad exhaust valve on the engine can also cause the converter to work incorrectly. When it fails, the converter won’t be working correctly to combat toxins. If you feel your catalytic converter has failed, it’s important to take your vehicle to a mechanic in order to get it checked out. This is a part that needs to be replaced, if broken.

What would happen if these devices didn’t exist?

Even more harmful pollution would enter our air, making the air clean and unhealthy for us to breathe. Catalytic converters are just one way to keep the air cleaner. Many other products and devices will continue to be researched and developed in the future in order to make even more changes for the Earth.

Under federal law, catalytic converters may not be removed and replaced with "converter replacement pipes" by any person!

Catalytic converters are devices that are found in a vehicle’s engine and help to turn toxic substances into less harmful pollutants. This can help to keep the air cleaner so that we are breathing in safe air when going about our everyday lives. In order for these devices to work correctly and safety, there are important catalytic converters laws. Take a look at the following information to learn more about the use of these devices.

Catalytic converter guidelines have been in place since 1987. These laws were officially outlined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These laws put in place outline how the converters must be designed, tested and manufactured.

#1 Dumptruck in the World Belaz 75710

From the end of August till November 2014 the specialists of OJSC “BELAZ and the service center “KBA along with operators have made several modifications of the mining dump truck of payload capacity 450T according to the recommendations and requests of the end users. Since November 2014 BELAZ-75710 has been transporting the overburden and has been working all day long. During this period the mining dump truck has shown great results.



At OJSC “BELAZ the state of the truck is being controlled each day. As of 24.12.2014 BELAZ has made 630 runs, the weight of the transported load made up 1 million 10 thousand tons. On 25th of December all preventive measures were taken and now the truck is again in the operation.

Military Construction Equipment

While reporters in the field seek to give TV viewers at home a clearer picture of the events that lead to victory or defeat in a wartime setting., those reporters seldom cover the path taken by military construction equipment. Sometimes, though, the enemy forces do make note of that path. Sometimes the enemy forces do use their weapons against military construction or convoy equipment.



Sometimes that enemy force proves to be a deadly force. Then the enemy forces remind the TV viewers about the “behind-the-scenes” acts of courage that can play an important part in any planned military operation.The makers of military construction equipment have joined forces with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Together, those two groups plan to discover and evaluate new fluids, fluids that can expand the number of conditions in which military construction equipment functions efficiently.

At the present time, the joint investigation has chosen to focus on bio-based hydraulic fluids. Such fluids are made from vegetable oils. Farmers who grow rapeseeds, sunflowers, corn, soybeans, canola plants, or coconuts applaud any acceptance of bio-based hydraulic fluids. Meanwhile, the makers of military construction equipment evaluate the lubrication abilities possessed by those same fluids.



The makers of military construction equipment appreciate the range of conditions in which their equipment needs to perform. By the same token, members of the military demand optimal performance from all manner of purchased construction equipment. The success of one military operation could well depend on the efficient operation of bulldozers, scapers, graders, loaders and cranes.

Each of those various pieces of equipment must be tested in a field setting. Evaluation of the test results should aid assessment of the important characteristics displayed by bio-based hydraulic fluids. Evaluation of the tested military construction equipment should yield measurements for three top-priority features, three of the features most-desired by users of construction equipment.



What are those features? One is coating thickness, the amount of lubricant that sticks to the moving parts on the construction equipment. A second feature is viscosity, the degree to which the lubricant resists changes to its form. The third feature is specific gravity, a measurement that is really a comparison. The specific density of a hydraulic fluid indicates how its density compares to the density of water.

Why does the military need to carry-out field tests when measuring the coating thickness, viscosity or specific gravity of bio-based hydraulic fluids? Can’t the appropriate personnel evaluate the performance of military construction equipment in a laboratory setting? No, the combination of conditions in the laboratory can not duplicate properly the combination of conditions that a fighting force might find in the field.



There, the temperatures might rise or fall precipitously. There, moisture of other elements in the air might act to diminish the performance of a less-than-perfect hydraulic fluid.

That is why the military needs to schedule field tests on any military construction equipment, when the lubrication of that equipment depends, for the first time, on bio-based hydraulic fluids. The military can not deny the apparent economic benefits associated with bio-based hydraulic fluids. Yet military leaders in the U.S. want some assurance that unforeseen problems will not eat-up any money saved by a switch from petroleum-based to bio-based hydraulic fluids. Many American farmers hope that leaders in the U.S. military will gain that assurance by examining the results from planned field tests.

What type of Heavy Equipment FAQ are mainly based on?

The Heavy equipment FAQ are mostly based on the worth, how the quality of the heavy equipment would be and most probably the best price that could be paid on that heavy equipment. Most of the construction business oriented people try to get clarified on their doubts about the heavy equipments they purchase or most probably they may be clearing out with the problems they face with their equipments. They may need to move their heavy equipments from one country to another, so they may be in need of many questions like say the import and export duty they have to pay on, the maximum shipping charge and so on.



The term heavy equipment refers to large construction equipment such as back hoes, excavators, loaders, bulldozers, graders and much more. The People who have doubts on the usage, or any other clarification about the heavy equipments may be the part of the FAQ to the general experts on heavy equipments. One such FAQ on heavy equipment is as, why there is a need for used heavy equipment appraisals. From this question it could be easily judged that this person must be dealing with the heavy equipments and may be in need of knowing what must appraisal for? As he or she may be facing to sell the heavy equipment or may in the process of buying the heavy equipment. The answer for this question may make him comfortable as it is a direct and explainable question.



And another FAQ on heavy equipment is that on the primary users of the heavy equipment appraisals, the same person or may be another one could have asked for this question. He or she may need to meet that appraisal of the heavy equipment in the near future, but may not know who the heavy equipment appraisal would be. The answer for this question would again be easy by an expert of the used heavy equipment sellers. Some may even not know what the appraisal means so one of the FAQ on heavy equipment was to define the term Appraisal; the answer would be the good apt definition for that question. May be one think at an overlook of these questions that it takes the whole to appraisal and not on heavy equipment. May this right, as the questions are based on the used heavy equipment selling and buying the term appraisal is most important.