Discussion:
How long does my ramp need to be?

I had a customer ask me, based on his existing fleet of forklifts, how long his ramp would need to be at his new (yet to be built) warehouse.

He wanted to know at what point the underside of his forklift would catch at the peak of the ramp and get hung up.

Could he build a shorter ramp to save space and money? How much longer would it have to be if he wanted to move his reach trucks outside for maintenance?

So I put together an online calculator to help him figure out how much clearance each forklift would have.

The link is: RaymondHandlingSolutions.com/rampcalculator.html

Let me know if this is helpful to anyone.
  • Posted 17 Feb 2008 15:28
  • Modified 17 Feb 2008 15:29 by poster
  • By Solutions
  • joined 22 Jul'07 - 10 messages
  • California, United States
http://www.raymondhandlingsolutions.com
Showing items 21 - 21 of 21 results.
Hi

Excellent start. You also need to allow for tyre deflection with cushion or pneumatic tyres. I haven't got actual data on typical deflection versus load for these forklift tyres but would suggest it is of the order of 10 mm per tonne.

The net effect on clearance with the drive tyres compressing and the steer tyres expanding is probably a reduction of 10 - 15 mm.

You might add a field on tyre type fitted and then at a minimum have a statement that when loaded the clearance may be reduced by 10-15 mm.
  • Posted 26 Feb 2008 09:38
  • By John_Lambert
  • joined 30 May'06 - 74 messages
  • Victoria, Australia
Better to strive and experience all life's colours from pain to ecstasy than to exist in a grey life

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Jim Tompkins Jim Tompkins
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Director of government affairs, Associated Equipment Distributors
National dealer development manager, Castle Equipment Company
Sales operations, Heli