You may have heard a lot about hydraulic fluids being used not just in forklifts, but all kinds of vehicles. However, what exactly is hydraulics? To put it simply, hydraulics is the use of a liquid in a confined or restricted space to produce pressure. The man who discovered this concept was Blaise Pascal, a French scientist. In 1795, Joseph Bramah used Pascal’s principles of hydraulics to manufacture the world’s first hydraulic press, and ever since then, it has been used in vehicles as well as other processes in numerous industries all over the world.
Today, the hydraulic systems used in our machines and industrial processes are much more advanced than what was originally envisioned by Pascal or Bramah. When it comes to forklifts, hydraulics plays an essential role in the functioning of the machine. The entire function of a forklift is to pick up heavy load on the forks, transport it to where it needs to be transported, and set it down.
The actual functioning of the forks of a forklift takes place through the science of hydraulics. In Moffett truck mounted forklifts, hydraulics is just as essential to complete the job as it is in maintaining the stability of these renowned forklifts. After all, enhanced stability is one of the two distinct features that give Moffett forklifts their competitive edge over the rest of the field (the second one being their ability to mount and dismount from the back of trucks that carry the material).
As such, it is essential to understand how hydraulic fluid functions, where it is stored in the forklift, how to check the level of hydraulic fluid and how to fill hydraulic fluid in your Moffett forklift. These questions will be addressed in the article to follow.
How does Hydraulic Fluid function?
Hydraulic fluid is essentially liquid that is kept in a confined space that is exposed to extreme pressure from one direction. However, the liquid cannot be compressed, which leads to the transmission of pressure from the liquid to all directions. If you put the liquid in a container with a piston, it leads to the liquid exerting a pressure on the piston and forcing it upwards. The piston cannot move back into its original state as long as the pressure is being applied to the liquid. The benefit of hydraulic fluid is that only a small amount is required to exert a great amount of pressure.
What does Hydraulic Fluid Do in a Moffett Forklift?
As mentioned above, hydraulics refers to when a liquid in a restricted space is used to apply pressure in all directions. In a forklift, hydraulic fluid is used to raise the forks and keep them lifted. This allows the operator to lift the load to whatever height is required to load or unload the material. This is achieved through the principle explained above.
In a Moffett fork truck, the hydraulic fluid is kept in a container called the tank. There are also pumps that produce a consistent flow of hydraulic fluid to the control valve. The control valve actually controls the flow of hydraulic fluid and determines what direction inflows in.
There is one other valve called the relief valve, which releases the hydraulic fluid and prevents the system from being exposed to too much pressure. In a Moffett forklift, the hydraulic fluid raises the forks off the ground by moving through sealed tubes looking for the path of least resistance.
How to Check the Level of Hydraulic Fluid?
Now that we know what hydraulic fluid is, how it works and what it does in a forklift, let us look at how to check the level of hydraulic fluid. Fortunately or unfortunately, there are certain symptoms of a low hydraulic fluid level in forklifts, such as:
- The hydraulic fluid can make a banging or knocking noise due to the aeration or contamination of hydraulic fluid with air. If you hear this noise, it is advisable to check the level of hydraulic fluid in the forklift.
- The performance of the forklift will be significantly slower when it has less hydraulic fluid.
To check the level of hydraulic fluid in Moffett equipment, you need to take the dipstick provided by the OEM. Park the forklift at ground level, and use the dipstick to check the level while keeping the forks in a standard position. Special dealers such as Moffett Truck can offer their expertise when you buy a Moffett forklift from them and help you choose the correct fluid to keep the performance of the forklift optimal.
How to fill Hydraulic Fluid?
Park the forklift at ground level and keep the forks in the standard position, then locate the vented fill cap of the tank, which contains hydraulic fluid. Insert the oil delivery system’s discharge nozzle into the fill tube and fill the fluid until the appropriate amount.
