Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks
Narrow Aisle Lift Trucks are electric trucks made to function in narrow aisles. Standard storage aisles are 3.6 meters wide, sufficient space for a counterbalanced lift truck to pivot in the aisle. Nevertheless, narrow aisles could be 2.4 meters wide to as little as 1.8 meters. The narrow space needs specialized lift truck models which are small, capable of tight turns, can put away loads without pivoting. The common kinds of narrow-aisle trucks are order pickers, reach trucks and turret trucks.
Narrow-aisle reach trucks
Reach trucks were the first narrow-aisle lift truck to be developed for warehouse use. These small trucks could easily turn within narrow aisles as their design has eliminated the need for a large counterweight. Instead, stability is provided by outrigger arms extending in front of the truck. The downside of this particular design is that the outrigger arms could hinder access to the storage rack because the truck cannot get near enough. These kinds of trucks really work well inside a warehouse which is well lit, has even, clean floors, enough turning space and good traffic flow.
Turret trucks
The turret truck design consists of forks on the side which pivot. The forks pivot 90 degrees and move from side to side. The load faces forward whilst the operator drives down the aisle. When it stops at the designated storage place, the truck's forks pivot to the storage side and lift the load to their full extension, and then easily deposit the load prior to resuming their original position. Turret trucks can come with a wire guidance system that keeps the truck on its path in really narrow aisles. In man-down trucks, operators remain at floor level.