Domestic forklift truck axles gradually move towards scale and specialization

Forklift trucks are mainly used for loading and unloading or short-distance transportation at warehouse yards. They have small work sites and frequent turnings. They often need to turn in place. As an important part of the forklift's steering system and drive system, the performance of the forklift steering bridge and drive axle is directly related to the safety of the forklift driving, operating efficiency and the labor intensity of the driver. Its reliability directly affects the overall reliability of the forklift's working conditions, and it upgrades synchronously with the forklift's product structure adjustment and technology upgrade, demonstrating the characteristics of large-scale and specialized production.

At present, the domestic market for forklift steering axles has a market capacity of nearly 200,000 units and nearly 10 production plants. Except for Anqing Axle Factory and Hangcha, the rest are small-scale production plants in terms of production scale. Anqing Axle Plant is part of Anhui Heli Co., Ltd. and is a subsidiary of Anhui Heli in Anqing. The products produced are divided into two major categories: axles and attachments. Among them, the axle products are mainly for Heli forklifts and other domestic manufacturers, but also exported to the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Canada and other countries. As of the end of 2010, Anqing axle plant steering bridge has been supporting 65 domestic forklift truck OEMs, with sales of 105,000 units, among which there are 12 main engine plants supporting more than 1,000 units, and the domestic market share has reached 55%. From 2001 to 2010, Anhui Heli Co., Ltd. invested 10 million yuan and successively carried out three technical transformations on the Anqing Axle Factory. At present, Anqing Axle Factory has an annual production capacity of 80,000 forklift steering axles, 15,000 forklift drive axles, 15,000 side shifters, and 500 clamps.

In terms of technology, the forklift drive axle industry closely follows the development of the forklift industry. The forklift drive axle is at the end of the transmission system. Its task is to change the magnitude and direction of the torque transmitted by the engine and transmit it to the left and right drive wheels in a coordinated manner. Under normal circumstances, when the forklift truck OEM upgrades products, it will put forward the corresponding requirements for the axles. The task of the axle manufacturing plant is to design and produce corresponding products based on these requirements. At present, the demand for drive axles in the forklift market is mainly concentrated on 1 to 4.5t and 5 to 10t products. Among them, 1 to 4.5t drive axle assembly mainly consists of axle housing, hub, brake drum, axle, brake, etc. The drive axle housing adopts integral casting form; 5~10t drive axle assembly is mainly composed of main reducer and differential. Speed ​​reducer, wheel reducer, axle shaft and axle housing, hub, brake drum and other components, must have correct connection and fit clearance between parts. At the same time, with the structural adjustment of forklift products, the drive axle products have also continued to develop in the technical direction of strong universality, low noise, and wet maintenance-free braking. In addition, the adaptation to the stone market and other specific industrial and mining, 8-10t structure drive axles and container drive axles are also the current development trend in this field.

In recent years, the forklift industry has been in a state of rapid growth. Some axle manufacturers with small scale have begun to increase investment, continuously improve product quality and output, and adopt low-cost and flexible marketing strategies to a certain extent. Directly squeezed a considerable market share.