Transdek UK launches a four-pallet V2G (Vehicle-to-Ground) yard lift
The product is in use for an international online retailer. The introduction of Transdek’s V2G lifts has removed the need for forklift trucks in the yard at the company’s level-access regional distribution centres.
Transdek describes the four-pallet unit as a ‘ready-clad, surface-mounted, plug-and-play pod’ that is installed directly on to the yard or warehouse floor. The product is intended for the loading and unloading of all goods vehicles, from 7.5-tonne trucks to shipping containers and powered double deckers, at any warehouse with flat-floor loading bays.
The South Yorkshire-based manufacturer claims that its newest lift brings a step-change in safety and speed of loading compared to more conventional yard lifts. External cladding is supplied as standard on the machines, along with an optional roof module, so that loaders can operate in a weatherproof, safe and, optionally, temperature-controlled environment.
The four-tonne-SWL lift’s 2600mm-wide by 3170mm-long platform carries up to four standard pallets, weighing up to one tonne each, along with an operator.
Leon Butler, managing director at Transdek says, “We wanted to develop a new standard for the future of yard and dock lifts, to enable operators to work within a fully-enclosed loading pod, at the same time as speeding up the loading and unloading of vehicles.
“Our new lift gives a four-tonne capacity on both the up and down stroke, for example, whereas the typical scissor lift equivalent gives a five-tonne lower, but only a 2.5-tonne raise. It also provides additional pallet footprint and twice the travel speed. Overall, we estimate that the lift can shave 15 minutes off the loading time of a full artic, compared to most yard scissor lifts.”
Based on the same basic design as Transdek’s larger range of award-winning double deck and V2G lifts, the platform raises and lowers using a single, powerful hydraulic ram. The company says that this design generates a reliable, durable, low-maintenance operation.
The machine is built to all relevant UK and European standards, but also includes a number of added-value safety features as standard: a light-beam-interlocked extrusion zone across the entrance to the pod; mechanically and electrically-interlocked twin material gates at both ends of the lift platform; and safety rails on both sides of the hydraulic bridge plate for accessing goods vehicles.
Access to the 75mm slimline lift platform is via a steel durbar lead-on ramp, which is fixed at ground level and forms an integral part of the overall loadhouse structure. This is another feature that Transdek believes carries an advantage over the hinged drawbridge-style lead-on ramps traditionally used on floor-mounted scissor lifts.
Butler continues, “To really modernise our four-tonne dock lift we have also fitted all models with a high-tech HMI main control panel, which gives operators an at-a-glance overview of live plant status. This helps to minimise downtime and maintenance costs by reducing the incidence of human error during operations. We also offer an optional mobile login capability for maintenance engineers to troubleshoot remotely.”
Click here to read more about our range of Vehicle to Ground Lifts and here to find more information on the 4 pallet lift.
