I watched a guy unloading a carload of flat sheet metal with a monster forklift yesterday. His forklift had about a 24' spreader bar. Each end had 4 dinner plate sized pads that made contact with the sheets. I couldn't tell if these pads stuck to the sheets with suction, or maybe they were magnetic? Any thoughts?
The sheets must be really heavy, as each flatcar had a pile that was only about knee high. How are sheets like this typically loaded?
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Yes that is the normal method of loading - in many cases, depending upon the dimensions of the sheets, the sheets extend beyond the car sides and thus become Clearance Loads as once something exceeds the side of the car it is WIDE.
In some cases the sheets may be loaded on a vertical diagonal - that requires extensive blocking and bracking to keep the sheets flat while being transported at a 45 degree or greater angle from one car edge to the other.
Presuming that that sheets are steel, I sould expect the 'pads' to be electromagnets. Were the sheets aluminum, suction or some other method would have to be used as aluminum is not magnetic.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
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