A glass importer and wholesaler has halved the time it takes to unload incoming containers with a ramp supplied by Thorworld Industries Ltd. Fitted with a dock leveller, it has transformed unloading into a one-man job and led to a major improvement in working conditions.
Concorde Glass Plc specialises in supplying glass for picture framing, greenhouses and aquariums to customers throughout the UK and Western Europe.
The glass, from Eastern Europe and the Far East, arrives at its Barking, Essex warehouse in containers carrying up to 22 one tonne cases. Around 40 containers are unloaded each month.
A 40ft long loading ramp in the yard was previously used to unload the containers. Two forklift trucks were needed; one to drive up the ramp to unload the cases and the other to take them inside the warehouse.
When Concorde Glass decided to improve the speed of unloading and ease of warehousing it turned to Thorworld for the solution.
The ramp it supplied is 6m long x 2m wide with a 6 tonne capacity. It consists of three sections with a 2m long counterbalanced ramp and a 2m long hinged dock leveller. It is bolted to the concrete surface inside the warehouse, close to the loading dock.
A 3 tonne fork lift truck can now drive up the ramp into the container to collect two of the one tonne cases before reversing into the warehouse and placing them in stock.
Said Concorde Glass's sales director, Paul Drummond: "It used to take 40 minutes to unload a container using the outside ramp and two fork lift trucks. The containers are now unloaded in half the time using a single fork lift."
As well as making substantial savings in time and labour costs, the glass is no longer subject to the elements when unloading takes place in bad weather, and the forklift driver is always working under cover.
It has also led to safer working conditions as there are no forklifts buzzing around the yard.
Safety side curbs are fitted on both the ramp and the dock leveller. Because the drawbridge leveller is stored in the vertical position when not in use, the actual storage area is reduced by the size of the dock leveller used.
Thorworld is firmly established as a market-leading manufacturer and supplier of a wide range of top quality loading and unloading equipment and loading bay accessories, such as mobile yardramps, dock shelters & seals, dock levellers, modular loading docks, dock plates & boards, dock & vehicle bumpers, Truckloada mobile yardlifts, Dockloada, scissor lifts, hand & powered pallet trucks, counterbalanced container lift trucks, a pedestrian operated trailer moving system, and a choice of walk, fixed and wheelchair access ramps, together with a comprehensive selection of safety and protection accessories, to help ensure safe, efficient, profitable working and the protection of vehicles, plant and personnel.
For further information about Thorworld loading bay equipment and accessories, and to receive a copy of their latest product range catalogue, contact: Thorworld Industries Ltd, Station Lane Industrial Estate, Old Whittington, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 9QX. Tel: 01246 260981. Fax: 01246 260493. Email: info@thorworld.co.uk Web: www.thorworld.co.uk