Hydraulic or Mechanical Dock Levellers: Which One To Choose

Dock levelers are familiar equipment in businesses involving the loading and unloading of goods.

Due to the benefits of the equipment, their popularity has increased significantly. And, an investment in a dock leveler can entail significant benefits for businesses in the long term.

You can regard the equipment as a bridge from the building to a trailer that helps carry out the loading/unloading process smoothly.

In the market, you will find two predominant types of dock levelers: mechanical and hydraulic.

So, let us discover the features that differentiate the two variants as that can help you to choose the right leveler for your business. Besides, you will also be able to spot the pros and cons.

Mechanical Dock Leveller

As the name implies, a mechanical dock leveler operates with the help of manual efforts. To run the dock leveler, the operator has to first position the leveler on the trailer by pulling a chain, which is usually positioned at the rear of the dock.

The platform and dock lip rise and extend from the dock towards the trailer when the operator pulls the chain. The operator must then climb onto the leveler and use his or her weight to lower the platform and dock lip in order for the trailer bed to be properly aligned.

The hydraulic dock levelers are built with different parts, such as lip-latches, springs, and hold-downs apart from other moving parts.

Because the parts are subjected to constant pressure from forklifts and other warehouse operator equipment that undertake heavy cargo loading and unloading, the parts may require frequent repair and replacement of loading dock leveler.

When choosing a leveler, consider the overall lifetime cost of ownership as well as the initial capital expenditure.

Hydraulic Dock Leveler

But things are different for a hydraulic dock leveler, which works automatically with the push of a button. As such, manual efforts are not required to operate such a dock leveler.

The operator can conveniently lower the dock leveler to the necessary height to align it with the trailer bed. With another button push, the hydraulic leveler will return to its original position.

In spite of the associated conveniences due to ease of operation, they are expensive and require sophisticated electrical components.

Therefore, you should take into account your financial position before choosing a hydraulic dock leveler.

Which Dock Leveler To Choose?

There are merits in both the dock leveler variants. Even then, you should not invest in a dock leveler straightaway. Instead, you should consider multiple factors while choosing a dock leveler for your business.

Some of the essential considerations are cost, maintenance, convenience, load capacities, and daily use.

You can consider investing in a mechanical dock leveler if you have a low cycle, low capacity, and standard applications.

Alternatively, a hydraulic dock can be the perfect fit if you require a dock leveler for a high cycle, high capacity, and custom building applications.

Given the results, you should consider the following factors before investing in a dock leveler:

Cost

A mechanical dock leveler is a good choice if you have a tight budget. Such a dock leveler does not account for long-term expenditures such as maintenance fees, part replacements, and lost time. A facility manager should do a formal study to establish whether the long-term costs outweigh the initial savings.

Maintenance

A hydraulic dock leveler requires less maintenance than a mechanical leveler because it only has three major components: the power pack, the deck cylinder, and the lip cylinder.

As the components are designed to withstand high pressure, they call for minimum maintenance.

On the other hand, a mechanical leveler employs different moving elements that must regularly sustain thousands of pounds of weight and strain. Over time, these parts must be maintained or replaced.

Convenience

In terms of convenience, a hydraulic dock leveler is more than a mechanical leveler. Due to the user-friendly design, a hydraulic dock leveler eases the tasks of the facility manager and the workers.

Due to its seamless technology, such equipment increases the facility's efficiency by higher rates.

Because the deck must be walked down, a mechanical dock requires more force not just to raise the dock but also to deploy onto a trailer.

Frequency of Use

The frequency of use of a dock leveler significantly influences business productivity and efficiency.

A hydraulic dock leveler is a spontaneous choice if the dock leveler is used frequently throughout the day and the facility manager needs the speed of cycle completion. If the dock leveler is an auxiliary equipment that helps operations but is not essential to day-to-day operations, the business may be able to save money by using a mechanical leveler.

Load Capacity

Larger capacity loads necessitate the usage of more force and a larger piece of equipment, therefore heavier objects like steel, liquids, or paper rolls are better suited for hydraulic docks. On the other hand, lighter loads, such as packing, food, or clothing, are better suited for mechanical docks.

It is also important to take into account the limitation of mechanical dock levelers in terms of weight handling. Given the capacities of the available mechanical dock levelers, you can consider 50,000lb as the maximum.

So, if your requirement exceeds that limitation, you should consider investing in a hydraulic dock leveler.

Conclusion

The moral of the story seems to be clear—investing in a dock leveler straightaway is a bad practice. On the contrary, you should consider the factors discussed in this article before investing in a dock leveler.

Again, the quality of the manufacturer also counts. Ensure that you choose a good quality dock leveler manufacturer, like SABTECH, to purchase a dock leveler.

Remember, if you invest in a low-quality dock leveler, you will eventually experience a waste of money and time.