In the world of material handling, the battle over gravity is won by the use of dock and lifting equipment. Life would be a whole lot simpler if everything was only ever required at ground level, but that’s never the case. In the humble warehouse, it makes sense to make full use of three-dimensional space, and so items need to be stacked on shelving units on multiple levels.
On a much grander scale, container ships are huge vessels, often transporting many dozens of containers. These containers weigh many tons, so cranes almost as huge as the ocean-going ships they unload from are required to move the containers boat to land.
What Are the Most Common Uses of Dock and Lift Equipment?
The most frequent uses of dock and loading equipment can be found within warehouses and manufacturing plants. Such establishments rely upon external transportation, so they must have some means of getting things off of trucks and getting their manufactured items on. Unless the plant has a drive-up dock (where the raised floor of the dock is at the same level as the truck’s flat bed) then the warehouse or production facility must have some way of raising items to the necessary level.
One of the most common items used for such a necessity is a lift table. This is similar in style to a platform truck. Once transportation is complete and height is required, a scissor apparatus comes into play. This scissor mechanism – either powered or manual – raises the platform to the necessary height. You can get both wheel-mounted or static lift tables. Which configuration you decide upon depends on the fundamental requirements of your business.
You will find that some lift tables are manufactured to contain a drive-through design. These heavy-duty table lifts can accommodate a pallet or pallet truck or dolly to be loaded upon the lift itself, rather than the lift acting as a means of transport. Because of the heavy-duty nature of such items they are usually static and not meant for transportation means themselves. The pallet truck can then be moved on to the next stage of the process once the lift table has been raised to the required position.
Multi-Stage Scissor Lifts Can Rise to Incredible Heights
A single-stage scissor lift is one that only has one ‘scissor’ i.e. one central pivot point. Multi-stage scissor lifts give you much more in the way of accessibility. These items of material-handling equipment have multiple stages that expand to lift the platform to great heights, and contract to lower the lift so that it is accessible at floor level.
Multi-stage scissor lifts are most often used as elevated maintenance platforms (for example under large transport items or even airplanes) and elevation platforms for stages in the production process where lifting to substantial heights is required. They’re also used as ergonomic platforms in order to precisely position work pieces where required, which serves as a safety factor to help prevents workers from being injured because of over-extension.
High Capacity Lifts to Move Large Volumes
Not every production floor deals with the movement of small to medium items. Many companies have to deal with large items that simply cannot safely and effectively be lifted by manual means. For this, companies use high capacity lifts.
One example of a high capacity lift is called a coil inverter lift. This extreme heavy-duty lift has the capacity to raise coils of steel up to 60,000 lbs. in weight. You may also find heavy-duty high-capacity lifts in the steel production industry. Such lifts have the ability to raise items as much as 100,000 lbs. in weight, and can be used for all kinds of cargo and for all kinds of applications, including the movement of concrete and other typically bulky items.
Whatever You Need, Dock and Lift Equipment Can Provide
Dock and lift equipment is extremely useful, whatever your specific business application. Even if you cannot find the specific piece of dock or lift equipment that implicitly meets your needs, then modifications can take place to customize any piece of dock or lift equipment so that it appears designed for you. For example, some companies manufacture jet aircraft. As this is such a specialist role there are unlikely to be companies that specifically make dock and lift equipment solely for the jet manufacturing industry (at least not those not on a supply and demand basis). Instead, generic dock and lift equipment can be modified to suit the task at hand.
Dock and lift equipment is always designed with versatility in mind. From small, scissor-type lifts to huge items of lifting equipment on an industrial scale, there’s bound to be an item of dock or lift equipment that perfectly suits your requirements. Whatever you need to battle against gravity to get up off the ground – be it production pieces, cargo or even people – there’s an item of equipment that will help your production process become more efficient.
For Dock and Lift Equipment, Contact Douglas Equipment
No matter the scale or operation of your production facility or warehouse, we can provide you with dock and lift equipment that’s going help you become a better, more efficient company. Our expertly trained support team is on standby, waiting for your call.
To get in touch with Douglas Equipment, all you have to do is pick up the phone and dial 1-800-451-0030. Alternatively you may wish to use our online contact form where we’ll reach back out to you via email as soon as possible.
