One of the UK’s leading logistics companies relies on an installation of 32 loading bays from Stertil Dock Products to ensure the efficient loading and unloading of 160 vehicles every day.
Based in Wakefield, Integrated Third Party Logistics (ITPL) provides comprehensive warehousing and storage facilities to support a number of companies and is a vital element in the UK-wide distribution of goods for a locally-based soft drinks producer. Vehicles arriving at the ITPL complex, which include 40 foot curtain sided and box containers, deliver and collect palletised loads with an average weight of one tonne per pallet.
When originally constructed, the ITPL warehouse incorporated 16 loading bays featuring Stertil loading bay equipment. This original installation performed well in a demanding application over many years which led to the decision to install similar equipment to support a recent 14 bay extension to cope with increasing throughputs.
The Stertil equipment installed within the new extension includes the latest generation of S-series swing-lip dock levellers. Providing a dynamic load capacity of six tonnes, these levellers automatically adjust to the changing floor height of the vehicle during loading and unloading operations, even if the vehicle is unevenly loaded.
Stertil also supplied and fitted its W-series curtain dock shelters to ensure exceptional performance of the loading bays. These shelters combine sturdy aluminium frames and strong reinforced curtains to provide optimal sealing between vehicles and the warehouse building. The collapsible aluminium frame prevents damage from incorrect docking of vehicles and can be fully customised. Also, the lightweight shelters ensure easy installation whilst standard double guidance chevron markings ensure correct positioning of vehicles to the shelters.
To complement the energy saving properties of the dock shelters, Stertil also installed insulated doors from its Thermadoor range. These doors offer a choice of insulation levels including higher value insulation for applications where temperature control is critical. Seals are located all round the door and between hinged panels to ensure the integrity of the insulation. All Thermadoor models incorporate a range of track configurations to suit different building layouts and available headroom.
The doors may be powered or manually operated and offer a range of safety features including finger protection at panel-to-panel joints. All Thermadoor overhead models meet the requirements of EN 13241-1: 2003and, based on this standard, doors are CE marked. Wind load tests and thermal resistance have been certified in accordance with EN 12424 and EN 12428 respectively.
Completing the range of Stertil dock products installed at the ITPL warehouse are L-shaped rubber bumpers which effectively prevent damage to the loading bay caused by reversing vehicles.
“Based on the successful use of a range of Stertil products at our original warehouse, we were keen to have Stertil equipment installed to support our new extension,” says Dave Ellis, managing director of Integrated Third Party Logistics. “The installation was very smooth thanks to the professionalism of the Stertil engineers and, as expected, the new loading bays support our 24/7 operation perfectly.”
