Choosing between a hydraulic dock leveler and mechanical dock leveler depends on what is most important to the user. Mechanical dock levelers cost less than hydraulic dock levelers, but mechanical dock levelers do require periodic (2 times a year) adjustable maintenance throughout use of the equipment. Hydraulic levelers can handle higher load capacities and also operate more easily than mechanical dock levelers, due to a manual push button that operates the power unit. While hydraulic dock leve... Read More
All manufacturers have a standard paint colour that is for brand identity or for economy of scale in any high volume manufacturing facility. Pretty much any colour other than the manufacturer’s standard is available, but at an upcharge. The reason for this upcharge is due to the purchasing process, receiving process and manufacturing process. Depending on the colour of the paint, primer may need to be added to the lift table before the paint is applied. When painting a lift table a custom colo... Read More
If you have both a hydraulic dock leveler and an overhead door in the closed position and try to operate the dock leveler, the power of the dock leveler will damage the locked overhead door. If you have a vertical storing dock leveler in the rest (vertical) position and try and operate (lower) it when an overhead door is in the closed position, the dock will cause severe damage by impacting with the overhead door. In order to ensure that the dock leveler will not be able to operate when the over... Read More
When a truck backs up to a loading dock, the rubber dock bumpers stop the truck and provide protection to the building foundation from the trucks impact.
When trucks are being loaded/unloaded, the bed of the truck moves up and down as the lift truck drives on and off the truck. This up and down movement grinds the back of the truck on the face of the dock bumper. This loosens lag bolts and often leads to cracked concrete.
Steel faced dock bumpers offer the same cushioning effect but the tr... Read More
Hydraulic Dock Levelers use a push button control to operate the dock leveler. When the button is pushed, an electric motor starts and a hydraulic cylinder is used to raise the platform. A second hydraulic cylinder extends the lip assembly. When the dock attendant releases the control button, the dock leveler automatically lowers into position on the truck bed.
Air Powered Dock Levelers, though structurally the same, use a push button control station to operate a 115/1/60 pneumatic blower to ... Read More
Loading dock information regularly references TENV Electric Motors and TEFC Electric Motors. What is the difference? TENV stands for Totally Enclosed Not Ventilated Electric Motors. These are used in a wide variety of smaller horsepower applications. This type of electric motor radiates its excess heat through the body of the motor. It is commonly built with special high temperature insulation. TEFC stands for Totally Enclosed, Fan-Cooled Electric Motor.
These are constructed with a small fan... Read More
Hydraulic conversion kits are used to convert a structurally sound, mechanically activated dock leveler to full hydraulic operation. If a mechanical dock leveler is to be replaced due to operational problems, there are two approaches that can be investigated. One is to completely remove the existing dock leveler and replace with a hydraulic dock leveler. However if the original dock leveler deck assembly, lip assembly, hinge pins and spools are structurally sound, then a hydraulic conversion kit... Read More
Interlocking dock equipment is becoming more common than ever. Interlocking the equipment improves safety at the loading dock area and also reduces potential for loading dock area equipment damage. First let’s identify some of the equipment that is commonly interlocked...usually equipment such as hydraulic dock levelers, vehicle restraints, overhead doors and inflatable dock seals. For example if the hydraulic dock leveler is interlocked to the overhead door, the door must be open before the d... Read More
The Edge of Docks, commonly referred to as EOD’s, are offered both in a mechanically operated version, the EDML, and in a hydraulically operated version, the EHD. The EDML mechanical version is supplied with an actuating bar that the dock attendant uses to raise and position the EOD on the truck bed for loading to begin. There are loading dock applications that have a specific requirement for equipment that is physically easy for the operator to use, in this case a hydraulic version is availab... Read More
Edge of Docks, or EODs, will not work at all shipping doors but they do work very well in the right application. Most loading dock heights are in the range of 46” to 50” with 48” being most common.
The EOD extends approximately 27” from the building wall when it is in position on the truck with the hinged lip extended. Because of the relatively short deck length the EOD will not work with trucks that are any more than 4”-5” above or below dock height because the ramp is too steep.... Read More