On an electro-hydraulic lift table the lift motor is mechanically coupled to the hydraulic pump. When the lift motor is activated the hydraulic system pumps the hydraulic oil to the lift cylinders and the lift table rises. When the lift motor is shut off by there is a slight overrun “freewheel” effect, the pump continues to pump oil for a split second and the lift table rises slightly. If precise positioning is required a Sure Stop Valve is added to the hydraulic circuit. At rest the Sure St... Read More
As standard dock lifts are supplied with removable guard rails. At the time of manufacture the guard rails are bolted to a threaded plate that is welded to the dock lift platform. These guard rails are now removable however they require hand tools to first remove the locking bolts, 4 locking bolts per guard rail. Based on the amount of work required and the time involved removing this style of guard rail is not a common practice to do repetitively. Another option is permanent guard rails, as th... Read More
The first step when considering converting to hydraulic operation is to investigate if the dock leveler is structurally sound. In its simplest form a dock leveler is a temporary structural bridge between the building floor and the truck to be loaded. A qualified loading dock service technician should first perform a complete front to back structural inspection of the dock levelers primary components. During the inspection the technician should check the deck, beam and headboard weldments, the li... Read More
Although the majority of lift table applications have a single control station it is not uncommon to have multiple control stations. A typical example would be a lift table installation that services 2 different floor levels. One set of controls is located at the lower level and the secondary set of controls is located at the upper level. The lift table can now easily be called from one location to the other without the use of stairs. If the lift table can be operated from 2 locations both of th... Read More
The most significant benefit of converting a mechanical dock leveler to hydraulic is the safety and ease of single push button operation at the loading dock area. Converting to hydraulic eliminates the need to repetitively bend and pull the release chain and then walk the dock leveler downward into position on the truck. When successfully converted to hydraulic operation it’s now as easy as pushing a button. Any brand of mechanical dock leveler will require an ongoing maintenance program that ... Read More
Working with bins of bulk product can often be challenging for the machine operator. The challenges arise because of the repetitive bending and stretching required reaching down into the bin to load or unload components. In this application consider if the product bin is first loaded onto an industrial hydraulic tilter. Under operator control the bin can now be tilted into the most ergonomically correct and comfortable position for the operator to retrieve or place the components in the bin. Til... Read More
The short answer is yes and here’s the reason why. Typically dock levelers are installed in a 3 sided pit at the loading dock area. To allow for operating clearances there is usually a 1” gap between the dock leveler platform and the side walls of the pit. When the dock leveler is in the closed stored closed position and the overhead door is closed these 1” side gaps allow cold exterior air to blow up from the dock leveler pit into the building.  Traditional efforts to conserve energy at ... Read More
Most lift tables are operated using a straight forward hydraulic design. An electric motor coupled to a hydraulic system pumps oil into the lift cylinder(s) which in turn raises the lift table. When the lift table is in the correct position the operator releases the up button and the lift table stops moving. In this elevated position the hydraulic oil is “locked” in the lift cylinder(s). In the event of a hydraulic hose rupture or fitting failure the lift table would drop quickly and at an u... Read More
The most commonly ordered option for a rotating top is a form of holding the top in position. There are 2 common holding options such as a rotating top “detent”. The operator slowly rotates the top into a pre-determined position and a spring loaded detent engages in a “dish” in the underside of the rotating top. The rotating top is held in position until the operator applies a gentle nudge to the rotating top and the top rotates off the detent and onward. A positive mechanical rotating l... Read More
Low Profile Dock Lift With a lowered height of only 6” a low profile dock lift allows ground level access without the need for construction of a pit. A Pentalift low profile dock lift can accommodate truck/trailer heights from pick-ups to semi-trailers with a vertical travel of 54”. It requires no pit and has the capability to be semi-portable, a low profile unit is an effective solution for ground level doors, confined spaces and leased building applications. Sizes and capacities are avail... Read More