Docking without heat or cold loss

Anyone who works in logistics or industry knows: the efficient loading and unloading of goods is a crucial link in the supply chain. One of the biggest factors in making that process run smoothly? Correct dock equipment. If everything is in perfect sync, heat or cold losses between inside and outside are minimized and loading and unloading is not delayed. Trucks get back on the road quickly and deliver goods on time to their next stop. But what does this dock equipment include? And how do you make sure the whole process is as streamlined as possible? You'll read about it in this article. 

Innovative docking equipment

The most crucial point when a truck comes to load and unload? That is the moment when the gate opens. This is when cold can escape from inside to outside or vice versa. Not an ideal situation for some warehouses, production or food companies. The change from hot to cold is also not pleasant for employees.

Draughts can make them sick. This is why Hörmann is working with an innovative system to counteract heat or cold loss at loose ends.

When the truck arrives at the loading dock, it drives backward to the sectional gate. Sensors and traffic lights indicate how much space the driver has left. The gate is thermally insulated, providing an extra buffer when loading and unloading temperature-sensitive goods.

Before the gate opens, a cushion system automatically inflates. Thus, a vacuum is drawn around the truck, preventing heat or cold from escaping down the sides.

Only after the cushion system is inflated does the gate open. Now the dock leveller can be placed and the goods can be loaded or unloaded. When the truck is loaded or unloaded, the dock leveller retracts, the gate closes, the inflated cushions deflate again and the driver can leave. And that with a minimum of heat or cold loss.

Additional components

The most striking feature of the innovative loading dock with Hörmann docking equipment are the large gates. These immediately catch the eye. But if you look closely, you will also see other elements. There are, for example, the wheel swivels that ensure that the truck stands nice and straight before driving up to the gate. And the sensors that signal when a truck is driving too close to it. In addition, there are also traffic lights that indicate whether the truck is still at a safe distance from the gate. When the truck is in the right place, the sectional door opens and the dock leveller unfolds. All elements (wheel crank, sensors, traffic lights, gate, dock leveller) together form a well thought-out and integrated system that makes docking and unloading more efficient.

Secure total solution, quickly installed

What makes Hörmann docking equipment so special? It is a total package. All components are coordinated and click together seamlessly. This makes the dock equipment not only quick to install, but also safe. The sensors are in contact with the gate, after which the inflatable cushion system neatly draws vacuum around the truck. In addition, the dock leveller knows exactly when the doors open and it can lay down on the truck. In short, the whole process is streamlined in such a way that it saves a lot of time when loading and unloading the truck. You don't have this time savings when you get all the dock equipment components from other manufacturers.