Why Install a Mechanical Edge of Dock to an Existing Warehouse Dock?

Simple....Installing a mechanical edge of dock to an existing warehouse dock saves time loading and unloading trucks.  It also is much safer than a dock plate or a dock board and is less costly than a pit mount dock leveler.
An edge of dock can be installed to most any existing concrete dock.  Typically the corner of the existing dock will have a 3" x 3" angle embedded in the concrete.  The edge of dock can be mounted and welded to this fixed piece of angle and also anchored into the face of the dock.  If there is no existing steel angle then we can provide an approach plate to anchor into the floor to provide a base to install the edge of dock.
Most of the edge of docks we install now have the EZ Pull handle that slides up and down in a saddle that allows the operator to pick the handle up from the stored position and then pull the handle back and down towards you.  Once the plate locks back into position the operator will push the bar up and forward to extend the lip onto the bed of the truck.  A torsion spring helps the operator with these tasks to provide smooth and simple performance  Then the handle can be stored back into storage position.
Now the edge of dock is ready to be used to load or unload the truck.  Most edge of dock levelers will accommodate a maximum of 5" above and 5" below the dock providing approximately 18.5% upward grade and 20% downward grade.  This is acceptable for most gas or propane forklifts but is not suitable for most pallet jacks or many electric trucks at the extreme upward or downward grades. They usually operate best with a 3" above or 3" below maximum.
Edge of docks are available in several capacities.  20,000 lbs. is the most common but 25,000 and 30,000 lbs. capacities are also available.  66" wide plate x 88" overall width, 72" wide plate x 96" overall width, 78" wide plate x 102" overall width, and 84" wide plate x 114" overall width are available.  66" wide dock plate and 72" wide dock plates are the most common sizes for the edge of docks.  Mechanical and electric hydraulic edge of docks are both available.  The electric hydraulic edge of dock allows the operator to just push a button to engage the plate in and out of the truck.
Some of the most popular edge of docks we install are Bluff Manufacturing, Pioneer Dock Equipment, Vestil Manufacturing, and Blue Giant to name a few.
The edge of docks come complete with handle and dock bumpers all in one piece.  Most of our edge of dock levelers have a 2 year warranty on structural members.  Typical price for the mechanical edge of dock leveler with delivery and installation costs about $2,100.00 in the North Carolina area.
Check out the video on the edge of dock.

Edge of Dock allows
quick and easy truck loading

Engineered Heavy-Duty Free Standing Mezzanine System to Increase Valuable Floor Space

Free Standing Mezzanine Allows Use of Vertical Space Otherwise Wasted.

Mezzanine floor structure Resin Style 3/4" thick tongue &groove floor panel over corrugated roof deck.

What is a good way to increase valuable floor space in your facility?  With an engineered heavy-duty free standing mezzanine system.   This particular customer has a small area for their maintenance department but an ever increasing supply of parts, items, and work need to keep the plant up and running.  So in the existing maintenance area they decided to use their vertical space that was being unused to create more space.  We looked at the area and decide we could go with a Cubic Designs free standing heavy-duty mezzanine in an area of the maintenance shop.  The mezzanine is 22' wide x 29' long.  It has a clear height under the mezzanine of 112" and the overall top of deck height is 130".  In order to use less space on one side of the mezzanine we designed an L-Shaped staircase and landing.  The floor on top of the mezzanine is an unfinished Resin covered 3/4" thick tongue and groove flooring panel that offers a durable, yet smooth and nice appearance.  The floor can support a dynamic load of up to 2,000lbs. 

 The mezzanine structure itself is designed to support 125 pounds per square foot of weight.  In this instance the customer will have shelving, cabinets and work benches up on the mezzanine and light assembly and store some of their more valuable motors and other maintenance supplies.  

We install hand rail and kick plate around the perimeter of the mezzanine for safety.  We installed a 6' wide swing gate to allow them to set pallets and larger items up on the mezzanine with a forklift. 

638 square feet of storage space.  Support columns are 6" square with 15" x 15" x 3/4" thick base plates in the corners and 18" x 18" x 3/4" thick base plates in the middle to give the mezzanine a strong support structure.

With the floor space under the mezzanine the maintenance department will have their new offices and more storage space for items and tool boxes.  Without the engineered heavy-duty free standing mezzanine system they would not be able to GAIN the valuable 683 square feet of floor space.  Let us design a free standing mezzanine for your facility.  Phil Strouth representing Carolina Material Handling in Greensboro, NC  www.cmh-inc.com and www.pstrouth.com  The mezzanine structure was engineered and manufactured by Cubic Designs www.cubicdesigns.com

See the video on my youtube channel  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxAzHixy7-nep61UTOPz_w

Mezzanine structure components.

Structural column legs for mezzanine
support and for staircase with landing

How to Create a Modular Office Space in a Production Area

What to do when you have run out of office space and need to use an area on the production floor or in the warehouse?  Simple..... install a Starrco Modular Office System.  In this case, our customer in Whitsett, North Carolina wanted to have a controlled environment for a new quality control room.
The existing concrete block walled office area was not ideal for having a quality control room so we used an open space in the production area to install the modular building system.
This modular office system is a 3 wall system because we were able to use the existing concrete block wall as the fourth wall to save money and space.  The building is 12' x 20' x 12' x 8' high.  This office has 6 windows and one 3' wide swing door and there is provision for six 120 volt duplex receptacles and two combination phone / computer jack outlets.  We did not include a roof deck and drop ceiling on this system because the open top allows for the natural light and production floor light to filter in and also allows the overhead sprinkler system to work for this space as well.
The walls are constructed from 1/2" thick gypsum x 2" poly core x 1/2" thick gypsum vinyl covered walls for a total of 3" thick.  These walls have a Class A fire rating and also help with noise control from the production area.
This type of modular construction is fast easy and inexpensive to implement into your facility.  This modular office system was designed, shipped and installed in a matter of about 3 weeks.  The maintenance department handled the installation of this building in a matter of 4 hours one afternoon. Very easy way to create modular office space in a production area.
I can help you with this product and many others at www.pstrouth.com and www.heavy-dutycaster.com and www.cmh-inc.com
Starrco can be found at www.starrco.com
We can do double deck office systems, clean room offices, conference rooms and any other applications you may need.
Typical Office Specs
1. Floor Track      2. Corner Post      3. Wall Panel      4. Lower Window      5. Window      6. Upper Window Panel       7. Wall Stud      8. Steel Door Frame       9. Ceiling Track      10. Door      11. Header Stud      12. Header      13. Grid Ceiling      14. Dust Cover

Using Wide Span Racking for Case Goods Storage

Wide Span Racking System

We recently purchased a large amount of used pallet rack at a local customer in High Point, NC.  They had to move all of the rack out of their warehouse to make room for a new tenant.  Mid Middleton and I went to survey the rack and made an offer to purchase the rack and was approved.  Then we set up the take down with our partner LaRoque Installations.  They promptly took the rack down and palletized and banded the rack.  Then P Strouth hauled the used rack to the CMH main warehouse and the CMH offsite warehouse.
The teardrop style pallet rack sold quickly.  We also purchased a decent amount of wide span racking.  Wide span racking is constructed very much like pallet rack but is lighter duty.  In this instance we purchased some Frick Gallagher racking.  They are no longer making the wide span but it is still in very good condition.  This wide span has 8' high x 48" deep uprights.  The beams are 8' long.  We have 1" x 1" angle that sets in the steps of the beams.  These beams probably carry about 2,500# capacity per pair with a uniformly distributed load.  The beams are a 3" face.  Our customer purchased their own 1/2" thick osb board as the decking material.  A standard 4' x 8' sheet fits perfectly on the beams and in between the uprights.  For this customer we installed some sections with 4 shelf levels and other sections with two or three shelf levels depending on their product being stored.
This project was shipped and installed by our guys in a matter of 2 hours.  A total of 12 sections to increase their storage capacity.
You can follow me on google plus to see if we have more used rack available from time to time.  As always we stock Interlake Pallet Rack in Greensboro.
Or on my website at www.pstrouth.com

HEAVY DUTY GRAVITY ROLLER CONVEYOR WITH CASTERS USED AT WAREHOUSE DOCKS

HEAVY DUTY GRAVITY ROLLER CONVEYOR WITH CASTERS USED AT WAREHOUSE DOCKS

Many trailers are brought to the warehouse now loaded full to the brim.  The product is not on pallets in order to save space and maximize the amount of product on the trailer.  Once the truck arrives to the warehouse it must be unloaded as quickly and efficiently as possible.  The warehouse workers sometimes bring a pallet to the trailer or in the trailer and load directly onto the pallet, but the quickest and most effective way to unload the truck is to use a Mobile Conveyor System.  In this latest application we supplied our customer with heavy-duty gravity roller conveyor with casters.
This customer uses the 2.5" diameter gravity roller conveyor section that is 10' long x 27" between frame and 30" overall width.  We start this first section up at 46" top of roller elevation and declines about 2" to the other end.  We use three supports under this 10' section and use 6" x 2" phenolic swivel casters with top lock brakes and swivel locks (1,200# capacity).  The first section is heavier duty because this section of conveyor takes all the impact of the boxes being thrown and loaded onto the conveyor system.
The next six sections are 1.9" diameter gravity roller conveyor sections that are 10' long x 27" between frame and 30" overall width.  We use two supports on the 1.9" conveyors with knee braces to support the legs.  The conveyors are hooked together by a hook and rod at each end of the conveyor sections.  We use 4" x 2" phenolic swivel casters with top lock brakes and four position swivel locks (800# capacity).
Basically the impact section of conveyor is set at the end of the trailer and as they unload into the trailer the impact section goes into the trailer and the extra 10' sections are added as needed.  This way the corrugated boxes can flow down the conveyor line out of the trailer and into the warehouse where the product can be separated and palletized as needed until the trailer is unloaded.  This saves the employees time and has ergonomic features.
One key factor is the casters.  The sections of conveyor will roll over the dock boards and into the trailer so they need to be heavy-duty and able to take impact yet still be able to roll very easily.  The top lock brake installed on the casters allows the wheels to lock when the conveyor is being loaded.  Then easily unlocked by pushing the foot pedal on the caster.  We also put four position swivel locks on the casters to allow the operators to make the casters not swivel if wanted.  This makes it much easier to roll the conveyors in a straight line when needed.
We partner with Lewco Conveyors for the conveyor and we use casters assembled at Carolina Material Handling for the casters, wheels, top lock brakes, and four position swivel locks.  We bring the conveyor into CMH and install the casters to the conveyor and assemble the conveyor to the desired elevations.  Then P Strouth loads the conveyor already assembled and ready to use onto our 26' box truck and delivers to the customer to use.  This way the customer can use the heavy-duty gravity roller conveyor with casters and begin unloading trailers straight from the dock into the warehouse.
Call or email if I can help you with conveyor or casters.

HEAVY DUTY BULK DELIVERY TRUCK FOR BEVERAGE DELIVERY SERVICES

Heavy-Duty Cantilever Storage Rack System Used for Storing Large Paper R...

How to Engineer, Design, Take Down and Install Heavy-Duty Cantilever Storage Rack System

Phil Strouth representing Carolina Material Handling.

I had the opportunity to help an existing customer in North Carolina with a heavy-duty cantilever storage rack system designed to store special paper rolls.  During this process we had to engineer, design, take down, move, install existing single sided cantilever rack, and layout and install new double sided cantilever rack.  The task was a little difficult given the areas we had to move the rack through the plant and into a new facility but we accomplished the goal.

First thing needed was to design and engineer the cantilever rack systems.  We take the customer's electronic drawing of their facility and let our CAD guy layout the rack to achieve maximum storage capacity.  It took about 10 - 15 revisions before we were able to come up with a layout that would accommodate the new roll sizes being stored and the obstructions of the new warehouse space.  Once we had the layout approved, we moved to the design and engineering of the cantilever racking system itself.  We wanted to go 5 arm levels or 6 arm levels given the slope of the roof in the new warehouse and designed the system accordingly.  We needed most arms to carry 1,800# capacity and the upper level arms to carry 1,400# and 800# capacities.  Smaller rolls are stored on the upper arm levels.  Once the design was figured out we sent the design to an engineering firm to certify the design and the engineering of the storage system.  This way the customer is comfortable with the weight capacities being stored and the integrity of the system once installed.

Once the order was placed we actually had to move some existing single sided cantilever rack from one area of the plant to the new warehouse.  The new warehouse did not have the ceiling height as the old area so we had to be creative in how we transported the upright columns and bases and lifted them into position in the new warehouse.  We did the take down and installation of the single sided cantilever rack over one weekend so we did not disrupt the customer's every day operations.  Once we had this system moved and in place the customer could start loading the rack with heavy duty paper rolls.

The next phase was receiving the new double sided cantilever rack.  We received the new rack material on 4 flatbed trucks and stage the material outside so we did not obstruct the shipping / receiving area of the facility.  Again over the weekend we loaded the new rack material through the dock doors and began installation.

Installing the new double sided cantilever rack was set up in two rows of 27 upright towers per row and 5 or 6 pin arm levels per side per tower.  We used a 7' aisle spacing between the rows of rack, giving the turret style fork lift plenty of room to operate.  The installation was difficult and heavy work for our crew.  We had 10 -12 highly skilled and determined work force to get the installation complete over the 2 day weekend so our customer could be production and shipping on Monday with no obstacles.  Each pin arm weighed 225# so it took lifts, and several workers just to install pin arms and raise towers.  All the bases and upright columns were anchored and impacted into place for a safe secure installation.

At the end of the install our customer is able to store 743 paper rolls in a 54' x 82' space.  This is a highly customized heavy-duty cantilever storage rack system used to store paper rolls.  Many hours of engineering, design, installation, and hard work went into this project.  Our goal was to make sure our customer was happy with the end product and they feel the system is safe and provides the storage capacity they were looking to achieve.
Always a major part of designing and engineering a cantilever rack project is working with the manufacturer.  In this instance we worked with Ross Technology out of Leola, PA.  Ross Technology is an expert in the manufacturing of cantilever storage rack systems and other storage systems.  We relied on Ross Technologies engineering staff to design this system to meet our customers requirements for storing the rolls.  We went through a change in length of the arms which affected the bases and columns.  Ross was able to engineer the system to meet all the capacity and space requirements.  We also had to make delivery changes and Ross accommodated the delivery dates to best suit our customer.  The product shipped in perfect condition and the logistics was coordinated by Ross.  The cantilever rack material met all specs and installed easily.  

Phil Strouth representing Carolina Material Handling in Greensboro, NC.

We used Ross Technology for the Cantilever Rack System in Leola, PA and our installation crew was Laroque Installations out of Lexington, NC.

Check out the You Tube video on this project at Phil Strouth You Tube Channel

Wire Mesh Partition Security Cage Used to Secure Records Storage on Shelving and Pallet Rack

Our customer needed an area in the warehouse to secure their records storage.  We took down and reconfigured a small wire mesh partition security cage and made it bigger with new wire partition panels so it would include pallet rack and shelving used to store their sensitive records.
My customer from the Jamestown / High Point, NC area called and asked if I could come in and look at their existing record storage area and give them ideas on how to secure this area.  We decided to make the records storage room larger and take down and move the two sections of pallet rack with wire decking.  We moved all the boxes for them so we could move all the shelving and pallet rack into position to create more storage space for their increasing number of records boxes.  Once we decided where the rack and shelving would be moved, we designed and did a layout of the new wire mesh partitions needed to create the secure records storage area.
We move a few existing wire mesh panels and added new 5' wide wire panels to create a 2 sided wire mesh security cage.  We have a 4' wide x 7' high swing door with cylinder keyed lock to allow access to only approved employees.
Our install crew arrived on the job site and moved all the boxes, relocated the pallet rack and shelving, took down some existing wire mesh panels, and installed the wire mesh partition security cage to make a 9' x 15' long security cage.  From concept to installation it only took a matter of a couple of weeks to complete.
We can design any type of wire mesh security cage for many different types of applications.  In this case it was to protect company records from being exposed to the open warehouse.
Call Phil Strouth representing Carolina Material Handling in Greensboro, NC for help with these types of applications.
www.phil@pstrouth.com
www.cmh-inc.com

Heavy Duty High Impact Guard Rail Used to Protect Machinery and Producti...

WireCrafters Wire Mesh Partition Security Cage Installed to Secure Maintenance Equipment

Sometimes you run out of room in a production area or warehouse and you need safe and secure storage for important equipment or material.  Installing a wire mesh partition security cage is a great way of partitioning off an area for many different reasons.
This particular wire partition cage was installed to house some of the parts used in the production machinery.  These parts are expensive and need to be in a controlled and secure area so only certain mechanics or maintenance employees can have access to these parts.  The wire mesh security cage we installed is 32' long x 22' wide x 8' - 5.25" high and has one 6' wide x 8' high sliding gate with a keyed cylinder lock.  This allows the maintenance crew to bring in and take out larger pieces of equipment with a pallet jack or forklift.  The cage also has a 3' wide swing door with keyed cylinder lock for personnel traffic.  The material and installation for a maintenance cage like this can be designed, shipped, and installed within one week.  The WireCrafters wire mesh partitions and posts ship out of Louisville, KY in 48 hours as long as it is standard size material.  The installation is fast and easy with the coded panels and a good install crew.
This cage can be taken down and moved if needed.  All the parts are modular.  The wire partition systems are free standing and the posts have foot plates that are anchored to the concrete to create a secure structure.  This material can be used to build many different types of partitions such as:  storage enclosures, security cages, machine guarding, divide sections of a plant or warehouse, tool cribs, and many other applications.
I like to design and install these cages for customers because they are quick, easy, and an inexpensive way to create a new space.  Look forward to adding more blog posts regarding wire mesh partition security cages in the future.
YouTube Video on the Wire mesh partition security cage


P Strouth LLC website
Carolina Material Handling Website
Heavy-Duty Industrial Casters and Wheels Website

Wirecrafters Wire Partition Security Cage Installed for Maintenance Storage

HI, I AM PHIL STROUTH WITH P. STROUTH LLC.  I REPRESENT CAROLINA MATERIAL HANDLING IN GREENSBORO, NC.  TODAY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE IN STOCK PRODUCTS WE STOCK AT OUR WAREHOUSE IN GREENSBORO.

THIS IS A 21 PAGE CATALOG LISTING THE VARIOUS INDUSTRIAL MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT.

WE STOCK 4 DIFFERENT SIZES OF PALLET JACKS.

FOR DOCK EQUIPMENT NEEDS, WE STOCK CURB RAMPS, DOCK PLATES, AND DOCK BOARDS.

WE ALSO CUT AND PUNCH STRIP DOOR CURTAINS TO YOUR DOOR SIZE OR BY THE ROLL.

MOVING DOLLIES, PLATFORM TRUCKS, PANEL TRUCKS, AND DELIVERY CARTS ARE ASSEMBLED IN OUR WAREHOUSE FOR IMMEDITAE NEEDS.

WE STOCK DRUM CRADLES, 55 GALLON DRUM DOLLIES, AND 2 STYLES OF DRUM TRUCKS.

WE STOCK 12’ HIGH X 42” DEEP TEARDROP STYLE UPRIGHTS, AND 8’ LONG BEAMS WITH 5,000# CAPAICTY PER PAIR ALONG WITH WIRE DECKING.

FROM TIME TO TIME WE HAVE USED PALLET RACK AVAILABLE.

WE HAVE 3 DIFFERENT STYLES OF STEEL HAND TRUCKS, WOOD HANDLE HAND TRUCKS AND APPLIANCE HAND TRUCKS.

WE OFFER B&P ALUMINUM HAND TRUCKS THAT ALLOWS OVER 100 COMBINATIONS TO MEET YOUR EXACT HAND TRUCK NEEDS.

WE OFFER 5 STYLES OF ALUMINUM CONVERTIBLE HAND TRUCKS.

WE STOCK STANDARD HAND HELD STRETCH WRAP, STEEL STRAPPING, AND POLY STRAPPING ALONG WITH THE TOOLS AND CART.

LASTLY, WE SPECIALIZE IN A BROAD RANGE OF HEAVY DUTY INDUSTRIAL CASTER AND WHEELS SITTING ON THE SHELF AT CMH.

TO DOWNLOAD THIS INDUSTRIAL MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT PDF CATALOG, VISIT PSTROUTH.COM OR CMH-INC.COM

LOCAL DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE AND INDUSTRY BEST PRICING.

UNTIL NEXT TIME . . . HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Next time we will discuss casters and wheels in depth.