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Dock bumpers may be one of the smallest – and seemingly most insignificant –
pieces of equipment in the loading bay, but they can increase safety and prevent
considerable damage to both the vehicle and the infrastructure of the
building.
Leading high quality loading and unloading equipment supplier
Thorworld Industries Ltd has introduced its new sliding nylon dock bumper - not only does it last
approximately four-times longer than standard nylon dock bumpers, but it also
ensures that customers can enjoy years of cost-effective, shock-absorbing
protection, with reduced vehicle repair and building maintenance
costs.
So why are dock bumpers needed at all? Reversing a large vehicle
up to a loading dock can be a difficult task, especially if the driver is
unfamiliar with the particular premises and loading bay area. Misjudging the
stopping distance is therefore an all too common occurrence, which causes the
vehicle to ram into the dock and jolt the structure. And with a 30 tonne vehicle
travelling at just 4mph, even reinforced docks can be damaged quickly, resulting
in costly repairs - and that’s where Thorworld’s new sliding nylon dock bumpers
come in.
The Thorworld sliding nylon dock bumper features a heavy-duty
black powder-coated steel frame which is fixed to sound concrete or steelwork on
the loading dock. The frame houses a solid block of nylon, and a unique fixing
method (patent pending) enables the incorporation of a thick, heavy duty rubber
packer at the rear to ensure maximum shock absorption. As a result the Thorworld
sliding nylon dock bumper helps to reduce damage to both the building and the
vehicle, as well as helping to protect any goods being carried.
What’s
more, the innovative sliding design means that each bumper can be turned
upside-down and back-to-front to ensure even wear, thus extending its lifespan
by as much as four times that of a traditional nylon dock bumper and
significantly more than that for conventional rubber dock bumpers.
Added
to this, the sliding action helps to extend the bumper’s lifespan still further
because the nylon can move with the vehicle thus minimising abrasion damage –
making them ideal for use with air suspension trailers
The smooth front
surface of the nylon, without any holes, also helps to protect both the vehicle
and the bumpers themselves from potential damage that can occur when protruding
objects on a vehicle get caught in the fixing holes on standard dock
bumpers.
The standard 760mm (30") long version is suitable to cover a
wide range of vehicle heights for most standard applications, however they can
be fitted above the loading dock with appropriate support and can also have
corner cut-outs to allow unrestricted access to the vehicle in above dock
applications.
Speaking about its new sliding nylon dock bumpers, John
Meale, managing director of Thorworld Industries, said: “Without installing
dock bumpers, an organisation with multiple loading bays could incur literally
tens of thousands of pounds in repair bills every year and yet this damage is
entirely preventable, simply by investing in a low cost piece of safety
equipment.
"Our new sliding nylon dock bumper offers exceptional
value-for-money and whilst the initial purchase cost might be slightly higher
than for standard non-sliding versions, when the nylon wears in one area, you
can simply rotate and reverse them, extending each bumper’s effective working
life by up to four times. What’s more, once the steel framework is fixed in
position, the nylon insert can then be easily changed or rotated in seconds –
without the need for any special tools."
Thorworld is firmly established
as one of the foremost designers, manufacturers and suppliers to the loading bay
and materials handling sectors and is recognised as both a market leader and
innovator in the supply of quality engineered equipment.
The company
provides a one-stop, single source for an extensive range of high quality
loading bay and materials handling products, safety aids and accessories,
including dock shelters and seals, dock levellers, modular loading docks, dock
plates and boards, dock and vehicle bumpers, wheel chocks, vehicle restraints,
traffic lights, wheel guides, alignment curbs and mobile yardramps (available
for purchase or rental on a sale or return basis through the company’s RentARamp
operation), together with the Truckloada mobile yardlift and the Dockloada
scissor lift platform.
 
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