Counterbalance Forklift · Practice Tool
Lifting Capacity
The data plate often shows the load centre as 24 inches, but in real life the load centre may be bigger than that. If the load centre is increased, the maximum capacity is decreased.
This works that out the way the course does. Note it runs the opposite way to the telehandler tool: there you raise the load to an equivalent, here you lower the machine's capacity.
Read this first. A practice tool, not an authority. Your machine's data plate and operating manual decide what is safe to lift. If they disagree with this page, they are right.
Steps 1 and 2
Derated lifting capacity
Divide the rated load centre by the actual load centre to get the load factor, then multiply the rated capacity by it.
Step 1 — Load Factor
RLC ÷ ALC = LF
Step 2 — Lifting Capacity
LF × RC = CAP
Rated load centre and rated capacity both come off the data plate on the machine. This page does not know them.
Step 1 — Load Factor
RLC ÷ ALC
Step 2 — Lifting Capacity
LF × RC
—
Lifting capacity
Enter the load, both load centres and the rated capacity
Worked examples from the course material
| RLC | ALC | RC | LOAD | CAP | Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 30 | 5000 | 4000 | 4,000 lb | |
| 24 | 30 | 6000 | 5100 | 4,800 lb |
10 FKL - Student Manual - Modified Module 2, section 2.7.3 Capacity Formula. Both rows are the manual's own example and activity, with the manual's answers.