What is a Mechanical Dock Leveler and its Functions to Help Commercial and Industrial Operation in New Orleans

A dock leveler is equipment that is usually mounted to the dock face which is the area of a building where loading and unloading take place. It can also be recessed into a pit at a loading dock door allowing movement of industrial vehicles between a building and a transport vehicle. These dock levelers can be permanently installed at each door of a dock.  

           

Dock levelers have different types depending on its operation. The most common type is the Pit Leveler. This type of dock leveler is found in a recessed opening in a building’s concrete at the dock door. It can be manual or automated. For manual operations, a category under the pit leveler is the mechanical dock leveler which you can easily get from a Serco mechanical dock leveler company. This is the most common used dock leveler because it is the least expensive one. This leveler style uses a mechanical spring to raise the leveler. This system is manually operated and no electrical power supply is needed for this to be used. As this type of leveler is the least expensive one, this can be the most expensive to maintain, but most industries use this for convenience. 

These are the functions of mechanical dock levelers and how it is operated:

·         It is spring-powered and manually activated.

·         It must be positioned onto a trailer by first pulling a chain which sets the “hold down” system free, letting the platform rise and the lip extend. The lip is the one attached to the deck assembly and pivots from a vertical position to a position that rests on the transport vehicle’s floor.

·         The operator then must walk onto the platform and use his body-weight to lower the leveler onto the trailer bed.

·         The mechanical dock leveler has springs, hold downs, lip latches, and more moving parts.

·         If the trailer is below dock height, the operator has to pull a second chain near the leveler’s front in order to retract the support legs allowing the platform to travel below the deck.

·         It is less efficient than a hydraulic dock leveler.

·         Its mechanical’s springs are heat and cold sensitive expanding in the heat of the summer and contracting in the cold of winter which requires consistent adjustments.

All in all, mechanical dock levelers are considered as the most economical and reliable type of dock levelers used for transport and delivery especially in commercial and industrial use and operations. Although there are many types and categories of dock leveler, the mechanical dock leveler is the most used in the industry because of its price and convenience. This type of dock leveler is also easy to find and a lot of reliable brands are available in the market like the Secro brand which is known for durable and reliable dock leveler equipment.

Looking for a Serco mechanical dock leveler company? Make Overhead Door Company of New Orleans as your number one choice. Call us at 504-822-0345 or email them at https://www.ohdno.com/contact  or https://www.ohdno.com/service-request/.  They serve New Orleans, Metairie, Slidell, Belle Chasse, Kenner, Northshore, Hammond, Covington, Mandeville, Laplace, Houma, Thibodaux, River Region, Ponchatoula, Harvey, Marrero, Gretna, Destrehan, St. Rose, Reserve, and Abita.