How Inkema’s Inflatable Dock Shelters Enhance Loading Dock Efficiency

Many industrial, warehouse, and distribution facilities are equipped with loading bays or loading docks that facilitate the loading and unloading of goods. Loading docks are specifically designed to allow goods carriers like trucks to back right up to the facility entrance so that goods can be taken out or stocked inside the trailer of the truck with ease. 

Quite a few warehouse facilities such as cold storages, pharmaceutical storages, or those storing perishable food items need to be protected and isolated from large variances in temperature and humidity to maintain their quality and longevity.

However, the constant opening and closing of facility doors and the time required to load or unload goods can affect the thermal integrity of the storage facility, leading to possible degradation of their contents. Unfavorable weather conditions such as rains or strong winds can also play havoc with the storage system. Such facilities need the protection of efficient dock shelter solutions. Among these solutions, the ones that provide maximum loading dock efficiency are inflatable dock shelters.

What are inflatable dock shelters?

Inflatable dock shelters or industrial dock shelters are loading dock sealing solutions that are Installed at the entrances of the loading bays. When they are inflated, they form a flexible but airtight seal around the trailer of the truck, effectively preventing any contact of the interior of the industrial or commercial facility from the outside world. Typically, inflatable dock shelters feature a rigid frame made of durable, weather and scratch-resistant material, fitted with top and side inflatable cushions. The cushions are constructed of strong fabric that can even withstand knocks and friction from accidental contact with trucks. The inflatable dock shelter also features a fan to inflate the cushions and an elastic unit that helps restore it to its original position.

How inflatable dock shelters work

This is how inflatable dock shelters work:

1. When the trailer of the truck is positioned at the loading dock entrance, the inflatable dock shelter is operated by pressing a button on a control panel.
2. The structure incorporates a fan, which when activated pumps air into the cushions, filling them up quickly.
3. Within seconds, the cushions fully inflate, filling all the gaps between the truck trailer and the loading dock, forming an efficient, airtight seal around it.
4. Now, everything from outside weather conditions, temperature variances, and dust or debris are completely sealed off from the facility interiors, and the facility doors can be opened safely.
5. Once the loading or unloading operation is completed, and the facility doors have been closed, the cushions are deflated, and the elastic component restores them to their original positions.
6. Released from the loading dock shelter’s clutches, the truck is now free to move away.

Inflatable dock shelter benefits

Once we understand how they work, it is easier to understand the benefits that inflatable loading dock systems provide to efficient loading dock operations. Let us cover them one by one:

• Energy efficiency: By minimizing variances in the internal temperatures of thermally controlled facilities, inflatable dock shelters help significantly reduce energy bills that would otherwise be very high due to the constant cooling or heating of these facilities to maintain optimal temperatures. This has the added benefit of boosting the sustainability objectives of the company.
• Protection from undesirable external elements: Unpredictable elements like heavy rain, wind, or snow can ruin goods when they are being loaded or unloaded. Similarly, dust, debris, or other contaminants entering the storage facility during docking operations can have similar detrimental effects. By installing weatherproof loading dock shelters, such undesirable elements can be prevented from entering the storage facility.
• Enhanced safety: Adverse weather conditions can create dangerous working conditions for facility workers, leading to accidents and delays in docking operations. Inflatable dock shelters prevent external elements from disrupting these operations, creating a safe and secure environment to work in. 
• Increased productivity: Keeping the working conditions safe enables the facility personnel to work with interruptions, which allows for smooth and seamless loading/unloading operations. This, in turn, results in improved loading dock optimization and increased productivity.
• Versatility: Inflatable dock shelters can be customized to suit the requirements of different types of loading docks as well as fit trucks of different sizes. This versatility makes the inflatable dock shelter for loading docks easily adaptable to various situations, making them the first choice among different types of dock shelters.

Features of Inkema dock shelters

Inkema’s inflatable dock shelters are among the world’s largest selling dock shelter solutions. The craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail that goes into creating them result in airtight seals, which highly improve loading dock efficiency by insulating the interiors and protecting it from all kinds of outside elements. The inflatable dock shelters manufactured by Inkema boast the following features:

• An inflatable coupling system driven by an air turbine to provide the perfect seal.
• Frame made of scratch-proof and weather-resistant 40 mm anodized aluminum.
• Inflatable top and side canvases constructed of 70% PVC and 30% polythene incorporating double reinforced polyester fabric of 900 gr/m², which makes them resistant to hard knocks and scrapes.
• The cushions are fire-retardant, the colors don’t fade easily, and the material can withstand the harsh working atmosphere of dock loading operations, making them long-lasting and requiring minimal maintenance.
• The standard model comes with dimensions of 3700 mm height and 3500 mm width, which is suitable for most loading docks. The cold storage point inflatable model has the same width but has a height of 4000 mm.
• A single-phase, low-pressure fan and an elastic unit are used to inflate and deflate the dock shelter.
• Vertical reflective guide strips at the bottom of the frame to help trucks maneuver into the right position.

Conclusion

Inflatable dock shelters are among the most effective loading dock sealing solutions providing consistent and long-lasting service. Inflatable dock shelter installation is easy, and the structure requires very little maintenance owning to the high-quality and durable materials that it is constructed from. They are safe and reliable, convenient to operate, and are perfect for enhancing the efficiency of loading dock operations, optimizing performance, and increasing productivity.