Midwest Material Handling was contacted by a local architect who was designing a new loading dock and mezzanine system for a community college in Dayton, Ohio. The project involved creating a functional shipping and receiving area in a space where no loading dock previously existed.
The goal was to develop a dock loading system capable of unloading vehicles of multiple heights, ranging from passenger trucks to full semi trailers. The facility also wanted to utilize an existing forklift for loading and unloading operations. These requirements created a unique engineering and design challenge.
To solve this, our team developed a system that combined several material handling and loading dock components into a single integrated solution.
A key element of the project was a custom designed high capacity structural mezzanine built strong enough to support forklift traffic. The mezzanine structure was paired with heavy duty safety barrier rail and embedded custom fabricated steel pipe bollards.
This material handling structure was then integrated with several loading dock components including a Blue Giant stationary elevating dock, a mechanical vehicle restraint, and laminated dock bumpers. Midwest Material Handling is an authorized Blue Giant equipment dealer and supplies a full range of Blue Giant loading dock equipment and replacement parts.
One notable design feature was the use of custom fabricated square tube steel pipe bollards that were installed sixty inches deep into the concrete. These bollards were designed to absorb the impact of trucks backing into the dock area. Laminated dock bumpers were welded directly to the bollards to provide additional protection and durability.
Another unusual aspect of the installation was the ground mounted mechanical vehicle restraint. In most dock installations, restraints are mounted directly to the dock wall and anchored into the foundation. In this case, the design required the restraint to be mounted independently on the ground to accommodate the layout of the mezzanine and elevating dock system.
The portable elevating dock also featured two access ramps positioned in unique locations, including one ramp that extended thirty inches deep to accommodate forklift traffic and vehicle access.
Projects like this are uncommon because the material handling equipment industry and the loading dock equipment industry typically operate as separate specialties. It is rare for a project to require both disciplines to be integrated into a single engineered system.
Midwest Material Handling completed the entire project in house, including system design, fabrication, and installation. This approach allowed the customer to work with a single source for engineering, manufacturing, and project accountability.
Companies that operate loading docks also require reliable replacement parts to keep their operations running safely and efficiently. Midwest Material Handling supplies a wide range of wholesale dock parts including dock bumpers, vehicle restraints, dock leveler parts, dock seals, and other essential loading dock components. For a full overview of our wholesale dock equipment parts, visit our Wholesale Loading Dock Equipment Parts page.
In addition to loading dock systems, Midwest Material Handling provides a broad range of warehouse equipment used in manufacturing, distribution, and logistics operations across Ohio. Our equipment solutions include pallet racking, conveyors, lift tables, safety barriers, industrial shelving, and other material handling products designed to improve warehouse efficiency.
For a full overview of available equipment and warehouse solutions, visit our Material Handling Equipment page.
