Have speed and quality
May 1st 2006 The reliability of the loading bay is critical for many warehouse and distribution companies who do not want the headache of substandard unreliable equipment, which, when even the simplest thing goes wrong could lead to having one or more loading bays out of operation at critical times.
Alan Jenkins, commercial director of Hormann UK explains why the Hormann solution is becoming increasingly popular
Hormann is a relatively new player in the UK marketplace when it comes to industrial doors, albeit it has been recognised as one of the leading suppliers of domestic garage doors for many years.
Lessons learnt from our domestic doors colleagues have no doubt helped us to steal an edge on the industrial market, however, it is no coincidence that in the last year alone we have provided doors for big sheds that are in excess of nine million square feet.
At the end of the day it always comes back to reliability; the loading bay environment can be arduous and equipment subject to many rigours. Plant, building and facility managers need to know to be certain they are installing the right equipment for the job.
In the UK, as across Europe, there continues to be a drive for warehouse efficiency - the faster the turnaround the faster the turnover! Too often products are value engineered in an attempt to remain competitive, and often quality is sacrificed for cost. For example, loading bay doors have to be stronger than domestic garage doors, and yet many companies will provide the same spring and other operation components for both, consequently, Hormann has developed a number of state of the art, made to measure solutions which are proving popular with a number of developers and specifiers.
It's vital to keep control of the manufacturing process, and make sure products function properly after assembly.
A lot of other companies' components aren't manufactured 'in-house' but are factored and are not assembled until they arrive here in the UK or on the customers' premises. With some companies their attempts to remain competitive can result in reduced quality control, creating both site and after installation problems.
Legislation should also be a key consideration as all industrial door products must now be CE marked. Sourcing from a single manufacturer should be of advantage here too as it should help to minimise any potential problems with product liability.
A complete loading bay programme range allows engineered equipment to be specifically matched to the respective operating conditions in terms of the goods to be loaded, size of vehicles, sealing requirements and door equipment and as such plays an essential role in the smooth transfer of goods in a safe and efficient manner.
All products should be manufactured under strict quality controls that ensure the highest standards. Hormann makes this easy for the buyer too, as virtually all of its products are manufactured within the group, traceability of products and parts will provide its customers with a better and more efficient after sales service.
To be certain that every loading bay is able to cope with the long term demands of this tough environment, the use of the best available and most durable materials is extremely important. This applies equally to the use of dock levellers, which must compensate the difference in height between the warehouse floor and the vehicle deck, as well as cope with the working stresses resulting from different materials handling equipment and the wide variety of vehicles being serviced.
Equally important is the sealing between the lorry and the loading bay because it must guarantee a clean and dry transfer of goods irrespective of the weather or, for example in the case of frozen goods, offer protection from heat transfer. In order to ensure this the seals must be matched to the docking vehicles. Hormann offers a broad range of sealing systems to accommodate every requirement as far as possible.
Hormann's variety of dock leveller models allows it to offer optimum fitting options for any application whether for new buildings or refurbishments.
Every site and customer requirement is different, and to what extent loading processes can be quickly and reliably implemented depends on the individual site conditions, and consequently "off-the-peg" solutions often do not work. Every loading zone has its own unique requirements which, in the majority of cases, can only be met by systems specifically geared to that particular situation. That's why Hormann's loading technology specialists offer a series of intelligent innovations for efficient loading and unloading.
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