Toyota Speeds Up Loading/Unloading With Thorworld
Car manufacturer Toyota has installed modular loading/unloading systems from Thorworld Industries at its plants at Burnaston and Deeside, in areas where there are no raised loading docks.
At the Burnaston plant near Derby, where the Avensis and Auris models are produced, two Thorworld systems are used to unload steel body parts from vehicle trailers, in which they are stored on site until needed.
Both systems, which are located side-by-side, consist of an 11m long, 10 tonne capacity bespoke built access ramp with a 2,650mm usable width, together with a 6,000kg capacity loading platform measuring 5,000 x 2,800mm and an electro-hydraulic dock leveller measuring 2,250 x 2,500m fitted with a swing lip.
Fork lift trucks drive up the ramps and into the rear of the trailers to collect body parts and deliver them to production areas.
A similar Thorworld loading/unloading system has been installed at the company's Deeside engine production plant in North Wales. It consists of a 9.5m long, 10 tonne capacity yard ramp, a 6,000kg capacity loading platform and an electro hydraulic dock leveller measuring 2,250 x 3,500mm, also with a swing lip.
As well as being used by fork lift trucks to unload deliveries of engine parts from the rear of trailers, it loads vehicles with completed engines bound for export markets. These were previously handled from the side by fork lifts operating at ground level.
Thorworld mobile yard ramps are available as Standard, Deluxe and Super Deluxe (light, medium and heavy duty) models, with 7,000, 10,000, 12,000 or 15,000kg capacities, in lengths from 11 to 12.2m, and are designed for the fast efficient loading and unloading of vehicle trailers by fork truck, particularly where there is no raised loading dock.
A new 6,000kg capacity Economy model for more light weight applications has also recently been added to the Thorworld ramp range.
They are ruggedly built with solid beam construction and a serrated open grid deck for positive traction in all weather conditions. A hand-operated hydraulic pump quickly raises them to the required height, and they come with 1.8m of safety chain on each side for securing the ramp to the truck or dock.
Thorworld mobile loading/unloading ramps can be purchased outright or rented through the company’s specialist RentARamp operation, with a sale or return option.
As with Toyota, bespoke models can also be supplied to meet individual requirements and a comprehensive service and maintenance back-up facility is available to help ensure that the ramps are always kept in top condition.
All models are CE marked and fully conform to all European quality and safety standards and legislation.
Thorworld is firmly established as a leading, one-stop, single source supplier to the loading bay and materials handling sectors, and is recognised as both a leader and innovator in the provision of quality engineered equipment.
In addition to mobile container loading ramps, Thorworld's product range includes dock shelters & seals, dock levellers, dock plates & boards, dock & vehicle bumpers, wheel chocks, vehicle restraints, and modular loading platforms, as well as the Truckloada mobile yardlift, the Dockloada scissor lift platform.
Published: 06/08/2009