It often happens, when we design a dock that you have to face “particular” requests about the dock levellers. Specifications, which are nothing more than copy/paste of technical descriptions from different suppliers, telescopic lips that become hinged, measures in inches.
Essentially, what are the recommended dimensions for a dock leveller? Which version: telescopic or swing lip?
Let us try to clarify the issue with the following considerations:
- A dock leveller is mainly employed to load trucks: this is the reason why the width has to follow the truck dimensions, since it has to enter the truck. The truck bed has a variable width, between 2150 and 2400 mm. It is better to avoid excessive frames’ widths (from 2250 mm upwards, not so useful), and stay, instead, on a measure that will always be good (width = 2000 mm). Only if the dock levellers are employed for articulated Lorries, it is possible to choose width 2200 mm, with the option of various accessories for reducing the lip.
- Trucks have different heights, between 1200 and 1450 mm: with a well realized loading bay (H 1150/1200 mm), the dock leveller must have a suitable working slope in order to cover up this difference. It has not to be too short (not to have an excessive slope), neither too long (it would take up useless room inside the warehouse). As Latins said: “in medio stat virtus”, and this is the reason why we suggest a length of 2500 mm.
- The world market has a 90% of swing lip dock levellers and a 10% telescopic lip dock levellers: trucks arriving in Italy are the same ones that are loaded in Holland or in Romania. The containers we load here are the same ones that are unloaded in the Arabian countries. If for these operations we normally use swing lip dock levellers, why, in our case, they should not fit. In any case, we recommend that the lip length must be at least 400 mm! If shorter, there is the risk they do not work properly!
- When a telescopic dock leveller is necessary? It is our opinion that, only in case of a recessing loading bay (the sectional door closes in front of the dock leveller, not on top of it), and for the lateral loading, when the rear one is not possible. In most cases (often mentioned just to confuse the user, such as the loading of containers), it is always possible to employ the swing dock leveller, with little safeguards that we will be glad to describe.
In conclusion, for us the most common, versatile and practical dock leveller model (as well as the most widely used in Europe) has dimensions 2500 x 2000 mm, with swing lip. These dock levellers are ready in stock in our factories in None.
Of course, Armo has in its catalogue other dimensions available (length 2000/3000/3400 mm, width 1750/2200 mm), in case of particular requests. We also remind you the availability of our tailor-made dock levellers, adaptable to pre-existing pits and/or replacing old dock levellers
