By Camille Howe
Some facilities, such as construction sites, lack a loading dock with a permanent, concrete loading dock ramp. Moving products to and from trucks and rail cars can be difficult for these businesses, even with the use of fork trucks. Portable yard ramps make it easy and efficient to expeditiously move product from point to point without the need of a dock. Construction crews especially value loading dock ramps for their ability to load and unload building materials. Because they function exactly like a fixed loading dock ramp, yard ramps can support both fork truck and foot traffic and come in a wide range of builds, sizes, and weight capacities.
Different applications require different sized loading dock ramps. The most common lengths are 30' ramps and 36' foot yard ramps that feature a six foot level off to facilitate access to trailer beds, portable storage areas, and rail cars. Additional widths and capacities are also available for specialized applications. Ask a material handling specialist about these options. Yard ramps are manufactured from steel, aluminum, or a blend of aluminum and steel (aluminum frame, steel grate). Your ultimate choice in material build will be determined by the type of application, the weight capacitance you require, and the amount of portability you need in a unit. Again, a specialist can help you make these determinations when placing your order.
Steel Loading Dock Ramps
Steel yard ramps feature a 2 speed hand crank and a service range from 45" to 62". Weight capacities range between 15,000lbs. and 30,000lbs, with the ramp itself available in either 30' length or 36' lengths. Safety features include positive steel traction grating, safety locking chains, rubber bumpers; a 15" overlap lip, and 4" high safety curbs. Welded hand rails can be added to any unit as an additional safety measure.
Aluminum Yard Ramps
Aluminum loading dock ramps also feature either 30ft straight ramp or 36ft. ramp with 6ft. level off. Capacities again range between 16,000 and 30,000 lbs. Several features make this unit simple and safe to use. A hand pump hydraulic lift allows for single person height adjustment. Rubber shock absorbers help stabilize the unit, and an optional tow bar allows trucks or forklifts to move the loading dock around a construction site or shipping yard. Safety anchor chains come included with the unit. The yard ramp can also be ordered with an aluminum frame and steel grating, and customized sizing can be arranged through your material handling vendor.
Mobility
Various tire options, including pneumatic tires that expand service range from 40" to 66", are available for both steel and aluminum loading dock ramps. In order to meet with OSHA and ANSI requirements, all yard ramps must be attached to the truck with bolt locking chains before use. Toe bars can also be fitted to loading dock ramps in order to allow fork trucks to move them. For extended service range, a loading dock leveler can be added to the ramp, and towbar hitches, loops, or forklift pickup slots can be installed that will allow a variety of vehicles to move and position the yard ramp.
Easyrack.org. For more information Loading Dock Ramps visit our section on Loading Dock Equipment.
Source:www.isnare.com |
