Facilities that handle food and beverage products need to be clean, climate-controlled, and energy efficient. The quality of the food and beverages being handled is dependent on the integrity of the building envelope characteristics and loading dock conditions. If you manage a facility that handles food products, you need to ensure that your loading dock area and staff can meet demands and overcome common challenges.
The Top Five Loading Dock Products for a Food and Beverage Facility
Meet the challenges of the food and beverage industry and deliver high-quality products by upgrading your facility with these additions. The following loading dock products can help increase productivity, save energy, and accommodate heavy loads of high-maintenance food products.
Dock and Door Weatherseal
A facility that handles food and beverages should have weatherseal on both sides of every dock leveler and the perimeter of every overhead door as an additional barrier between the internal and external environment. Weatherseal can reduce energy loss by closing off the gaps between the dock leveler and the pit walls and around a door opening. Weatherseal can also help with cleanliness by preventing debris and bugs from penetrating the facility when the dock is parked or the door is closed.
Vehicle Restraints
Food and beverages need to be unloaded from trucks and transported into refrigerators or freezers inside the facility quickly to uphold the quality of the products. When staff members are working quickly at the loading dock, it is essential that the truck being unloaded is stabilized with a vehicle restraint.
A vehicle restraint prevents trailer creep during loading and offloading, premature departure, and trailer theft. When workers are quickly loading and unloading the trailers, they can feel safe and at ease knowing the trailer is restrained until it is ready to depart.
Hydraulic Dock Leveler
A powerful hydraulic dock leveler is critical for loading and unloading food and beverage products. Traditionally, facilities that handle or store food and beverages manage high volumes and heavy weight loads. Hydraulic docks are ideal for convenient operation with the push of a button, low maintenance, and frequent use; most food- grade facilities are privy to the convenience of hydraulic docks.
An alternative application is a vertical-storing dock leveler, which is an ideal choice for optimal cleanliness, complete climate control, and limited spacing where a dock is required.
PVC Strip Curtains
PVC strip curtains are a modern must-have for facilities in the food and beverage industry. Clear and ribbed PVC strip curtains are suitable for refrigeration and warehousing. PVC strip curtains are commonly used for cold storage environments and can help prevent cold air from escaping coolers or freezers that contain food and beverage products.
High-Speed Overhead Doors
High-speed overhead doors are recognized for their ability to complete cycles quickly and efficiently while providing the tightest perimeter seal. The faster that a door opens and closes, the less cool air can escape from the designated area. High-speed doors are designed for high volume and low maintenance due to their few moving parts and self-reinsertion of curtains and their quick transfer between rooms and areas, allowing forklift drivers to be efficient.
Upgrade Your Facility—Upgrade Your Business
The quality and efficiency of your facility is often a reflection of the products you are producing and storing there. If you manage a facility in the food and beverage industry, it is essential that you keep your loading dock and building envelope characteristics up to date.
The decision to invest in high-quality products for your facility will result in a clean, safe, and efficient work environment that produces exceptional food and beverage products for retailers and consumers. If you have any questions about how to improve your facility, talk with a Lenworth representative for a no-hassle free consultation.
