Fork tine
A fork tine is one of the steel arms on a forklift that slide into a pallet's fork openings to lift it. Tine width, spacing and length decide which openings a pallet needs; a common example tine is 4 in wide and 42 in long (100 mm and 1,070 mm in metric).
Also called fork, tine, forklift fork
Reviewed
Tine dimensions in pallet design
PDS lets the designer edit fork geometry for its forklift support analysis. Its example values:
| Dimension | Inch | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Tine width | 4 in | 100 mm |
| Tine length | 42 in | 1,070 mm |
Spacing between tines is set by the operator, within the pallet's openings.
How tines meet the pallet
- Stringer pallet, end entry: tines go into the bays between stringers. On a 40 in wide pallet with three 1-3/8 in stringers, each bay is about 17.94 in wide by 3-1/2 in high.
- Stringer pallet, side entry: tines pass through the notches, about 2 in high by 9 in long.
- Block pallet: tines enter between blocks on any side.
Why it matters
Tine entries cause most handling damage to lead boards and blocks. Forklift support is short-term loading, so its rating is usually higher than rack storage. If the forklift will enter from the side of a long stringer pallet, say so in the spec, as it changes the analysis. See pallet jack compatibility and two-way entry.
Questions
- How wide are forklift tines?
- Around 4 in (100 mm) is common and is the PDS example value, but heavier forklifts use wider tines. Check the fleet before specifying openings.
Related
- NotchA notch is a cutout in the bottom of a pallet stringer for fork tines. The Uniform Standard recommends about a 2 x 9 in opening with rounded corners.
- Two-way entryA two-way entry pallet takes fork tines from two opposite ends only. An unnotched stringer pallet is two-way: the forks go between the stringers.
- Pallet jackA pallet jack is a wheeled hand or powered truck whose forks lift a pallet a few inches. Its wheels need openings in the bottom deck and chamfered lead boards.
- Pallet jack compatibility: which pallets work with a pallet jackPallet jack compatibility: stringer pallets take jacks from the ends only, even when notched; block pallets allow more faces, set by the bottom deck.
- Free spanFree span is the unsupported distance a pallet bridges between supports, such as rack beams. A 48 in pallet on beams typically has about a 44 in free span.
- Full four-way entryFull four-way entry means forklifts and pallet jacks can both enter from all four sides. Block pallets with perimeter or cruciform bases are full four-way.