Steel Telescopic Fork (STF)

A telescoping fork, also known as an extendable fork, is a steel load-handling device used in automated warehouses to pick and place totes, plastic boxes, small cartons, and similar containers. Nested steel members extend and retract like a heavy industrial drawer slide, allowing the fork to move a container into or out of a storage position while the main machine remains in the aisle. The fork can be driven by a servo motor, electric motor, or other actuator, while sensors and machine controls manage its position and travel.

Telescoping forks are commonly used in miniload systems — automated storage and retrieval systems designed for smaller, lighter containers rather than pallets. A miniload machine travels through a storage aisle carrying the fork and positions it in front of the required rack location.

Available slide space on that moving carriage can be limited. The fork cannot simply use a single rail as long as the distance it needs to reach, because that rail would require too much space on the carriage even when retracted. Nested sliding steel members solve this problem by fitting within a relatively short space when parked and telescoping outward to provide substantially more reach. This allows an extendable fork to provide the required travel while remaining compact enough for a shuttle, miniload, stacker crane, gantry, or other aisle machine.

Single Depth means the telescoping fork reaches a tote or container stored in the first rack position from the aisle. Double Depth provides enough extension to reach a second storage position behind the first. Adjustable Depth provides controlled travel for systems that need to handle different container sizes or storage positions rather than operating at one fixed reach.

PBC Linear’s Steel Telescopic Fork (STF) is a telescoping pick-and-place fork built on the SDP telescoping rail platform. The SDP steel drawer slides form the extending rail system; the STF is the complete load-handling device built on those rails. Every STF extends and retracts in both directions from the carriage and includes positioning sensors, allowing one aisle machine to pick and place containers in storage locations on either side.

The Steel Telescopic Fork is available in Single Depth, Double Depth, and Adjustable Depth configurations for 600 × 400mm totes and mixed-size containers from 200–600mm wide, with a maximum load capacity of 50kg. It can be ordered with an integrated 400W MOONS AC servo motor or without a motor for customer-supplied actuation. Each STF is made to order with a standard lead time of approximately 12 weeks. For the steel drawer slides alone, see SDP. For heavier rack and lift telescoping applications, see Hevi-Rail®.

• Steel telescoping fork (STF), also known as an extendable fork for automated load handling
• Miniload pick-and-place fork for totes, plastic boxes, small cartons, and similar containers — not pallets
• Built on the PBC Linear SDP telescoping steel drawer slide platform
• Designed for limited slide space with nested steel members that provide extended reach from a compact retracted assembly
• Three configurations: Single Depth, Double Depth, and Adjustable Depth
• Handles 600 × 400mm totes and mixed-size containers from 200–600mm wide
• Maximum load capacity: 50kg
• Bidirectional extension and retraction from the carriage
• Positioning sensors included
• Optional integrated 400W MOONS AC servo motor, or order without a motor for customer-supplied actuation
• Suitable for shuttles, miniload systems, stacker cranes, gantries, and other automated material-handling equipment
• Made to order with a standard lead time of approximately 12 weeks
• SDP steel drawer slides also sold separately

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