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Category: Electric forklift solution,
From understanding your dock capabilities to ensuring pallet racks and forklifts match up appropriately, you need to consider every touchpoint of forklifts in use. Your facility’s flooring is one such consideration that is often overlooked. Concrete floor maintenance starts with sweeping the floor daily.
Concrete floors are porous. Unless a sealant applied to it, it can be damaged fast, and the damage expand quickly. Warehouse floors that are cracked or pitted create an uneven surface for forklifts to drive over.
In addition, concrete floors can shift at joints between two slabs. In addition to creating a bumpy surface this may cause the slabs to pull away from each other.
A build-up of moisture is another issue for concrete floors. Humid and rainy conditions are the main culprit, but cold storage floors can also experience moisture build-up.
Forklifts aren’t equipped with a superior suspension system. An operator will definitely feel a bump while driving a forklift. Most forklifts are ergonomically designed for optimal comfort, but a concrete floor that is in bad shape will place strain on the operators’ body. A regular floor inspection schedule is essential to prevent and report damage.
Often, forklifts that operate indoors have cushion tyres that aren’t manufactured to withstand uneven terrain. This includes concrete floor surfaces where chunks of floor are missing, or rough patches are evident. This can lead to frequent tyre replacements to avoid placing strain on the forklift. Damaged concrete floors also increase the risk of product damage resulting from driving over the uneven terrain.
When inspecting the concrete floor, pay special attention to the joints between concrete slabs, as they are inherent weak points in the floor. These are likely the first places that fall into disrepair from natural wear and tear.
When concrete floors are wet it reduces the friction between the tyre surface and the ground. This has a significant impact on a forklift’s ability to stop or accelerate effectively. It is essential that concrete floor surfaces are cleaned properly and allowed to dry before they are driven over.