In cold chain operations, the loading dock is a critical position but also the place where heat loss and dust ingress happen most easily. To deal with this, fitting a standard Loading Dock Door system is a must-have solution for a modern industrial cold store.
In Tan Long, we supply dedicated cold storage doors for the loading dock, with high-density PU foam insulation technology and a tight rubber gasket system. This solution not only optimises electricity costs for the business but also maintains demanding food safety and hygiene standards while goods are being moved.
Which industries use loading dock doors?
Below are the industry groups in which Tan Long has installed the most loading dock doors:
- Seafood processing: fish fillets, shrimp, squid and frozen export products.
- Food and meat processing: carcass meat, cut meat and ready-prepared foods.
- Logistics and chilled distribution: transit warehouses, distribution centres and supermarket chains.
Each sector has different requirements for temperature range, contact materials and capacity. Please contact Tan Long's engineering team for advice on the right configuration for your products.
What is a loading dock door? Operating principle and technical standards
Loading Dock Door belong to Tan Long delivers not only operating performance but also safety, protecting goods from outside environmental factors such as dust, temperature, humidity and insects. With automation features and intelligent design, Loading Dock Door belong to Tan Long Helps increase work efficiency, reduce waiting time and increase convenience in the import and export process.
System Loading Dock Door include:
- Dock Shelter PVC curtain: Dock Shelter, also known as the import and export airbag cover, is designed to seal the space between the loading area and the truck bed. This helps ensure that goods are transported quickly and safely, while keeping the internal working environment unaffected by external weather factors such as rain, wind and dirt. With the curtain PVC high quality, Dock Shelter belong to Tan Long providing durability and high efficiency during operation.
- Hydraulic Dock Leveller (mechanical or automatic): Dock Leveller, also known as a hydraulic lift platform, is designed to act as a bridge between the warehouse and the truck or trailer. This allows the forklift to move quickly and safely during loading/unloading. Dock Leveller of Tan Long can be operated manually or automatically, depending on the customer's usage needs. Automatic hydraulic lifts offer greater convenience and efficiency, while mechanical lifts are suitable for simple operation requirements and lower costs.
- Sectional Door: Sectional Door, also known as rolling dooris the solution for fast opening and closing in loading and unloading areas. Loading Dock Door belong to Tan Long designed to ensure safety, convenience and high efficiency during use. With sturdy materials and flexible operating mechanism, Loading Dock Door Our solutions help optimize time and space, while enhancing the security of warehouse areas.
Investing in the system Loading Dock Door Synchronization not only helps businesses save energy costs by reducing heat loss but also demonstrates professionalism in logistics management and goods preservation according to international standards.
Technical specifications of doors for loading and unloading chambers
System Loading Dock Door at Tan Long is built from load-bearing and insulating materials, ensuring durable operation in high-intensity logistics environments. Within it, the dock shelter plays the key role and is designed to demanding technical standards to create a closed environment for the cold store. This component works through the coordinated action of the load-bearing frame, the air bag system and the automatic control devices, optimising working performance and saving significant energy for the business.
Dock Shelter
Below are the detailed components that make up a standard Dock Shelter system in the solution. Loading Dock Door our:
Ingredients of Dock Shelter:
- Shelter frame (two walls and top): The shelter frame consists of two side walls and a top section, creating a sturdy structure for Dock ShelterThey ensure stability and reliability during use.
- Air pump: The air pump is a key component that inflates the airbags, creating a tight seal between the loading area and the truck bed. This helps protect the cargo from outside weather elements.
- Counterweight system: Counterweight system helps maintain balance and stability of Dock Shelter during operation. This system ensures that the airbags are always held in the correct and effective position.
- Counterweight: Counterweights are used to balance the moving parts of a machine. Dock Shelter, making the opening and closing process smoother and easier.
- Side pillow: Side pillows are the internal cushioning components Dock Shelter, which help create a seal between the truck bed and the loading and unloading area. They prevent cold or hot air from outside from entering, keeping the internal environment stable.
- Decorative cover: Decorative covers not only provide an aesthetic appearance to Dock Shelter but also protects internal components from dirt and damage.
- Counterweight shaft: The counterweight shaft is the component that connects and maintains the balance of the counterweights in the system. It helps ensure that Dock Shelter always run smoothly and efficiently.
- Pillow:The pillow is placed at the top of the Dock ShelterThese create a sealed cushion at the top of the truck bed. They prevent temperature exchange between the outside environment and the interior, keeping the temperature from the system stable. refrigeration compressor Always stable.
Investing in precise technical specifications Loading Dock Door This will help the system operate smoothly and minimize the risk of damage to goods due to sudden temperature changes. At Tan Long, we are always ready to advise you on the various product lines. cold storage door The integrated Dock Shelter is best suited to the dimensions of current truck types, ensuring maximum compatibility and cost-effectiveness for your project.
Hydraulic Dock Leveller (mechanical or automatic)
In the overall structure of a cold storage Modern hydraulic dock levelers act as a flexible bridge, connecting the warehouse floor to the truck bed to ensure a continuous flow of goods. They are an indispensable supporting device in the system. Loading Dock Door, which deals with the height difference and so makes picking and placing goods accurate and fast. When activated, the leveller platform rises, the lip extends and lowers until it rests on the truck bed. Once the work is finished, the leveller rises automatically, the lip drops back to the vertical position and the platform returns to its original position. Today, Tan Long This equipment can be installed using two main methods: embedded installation (into the dock pit) or suspended installation, depending on the specific architecture of each warehouse.
Dock Leveller Main Advantages
Choose an integrated raised floor solution. Loading Dock Door in Tan Long, you will see advantages in both performance and safety:
- Self cleaning hinge: Between the leveler and the lip, helps maintain operating efficiency and prolong equipment life.
- Length of ramp 400 mm: Can be increased at will 500 mm, providing flexibility for different types of trucks.
- Tilt to one side 100 mm: The grader can tilt to one side when working with a truck with a tilting platform, ensuring safety and convenience during operation.
- Yellow and black signal strip: Helps to easily identify the platform located above the slope, increasing safety when using.
- Lentil Plate Surface: Creates better adhesion for forklift wheels, making the movement safer and more stable.
- Lip support: Ensures safe horizontal movement on the leveler in the closed position, preventing accidents and damage.
- Safety system stops immediately: The hydraulic balancer will stop immediately in case of pipe breakage or illegal vehicle departure during loading/unloading.
- Side airbags: Prevents workers' feet from falling into the gap between the leveler and the pit during operation, ensuring worker safety.
- Locking mechanism (repair spare): Provide safe maintenance and repair of the leveling machine, keeping the equipment in good working condition.
Dock leveller components are specialized components used in door systems for loading and unloading bays.
For a system Loading Dock Door For smooth and safe operation, the components of a hydraulic dock leveler must be designed with extreme precision and synchronization. This is a heavy-duty device, closely connected to warehouse infrastructure to create a closed-loop logistics process, and is particularly important in maintaining the supply chain. cold storage to standard. At Tan Long, every construction detail of the dock leveller is fabricated from load-bearing material, so the equipment withstands dense working frequency while remaining durable and safe for the operators.
- Base shell: Protects internal components and increases machine durability.
- Lip: The part in direct contact with the vehicle body makes it easy to transfer goods.
- Frame: The sturdy frame supports the entire machine structure.
- Side curtain airbags: Protect employee safety during operation.
- Black and yellow signal stripes: Helps identify and ensure safety when using.
- Hydraulic pump: Provides power to raise and lower the floor.
- Lifting cylinder: Supports the process of raising and lowering the floor.
- Cylinder lip: Helps open and close lips effectively.
- Preventive repair: Locking mechanism ensures safety when maintenance and repair are required.
- Controller: Intelligent control system makes machine operation easy and safe.
Sectional Door
Insulation barrier: The front and rear steel plates are not connected to each other, so heat or cold transfer is minimized. Ideal for indoor applications cold storage.
Rubber gasket bottom mounted on the bottom aluminum bar (concealed aluminum bar for doors up to width 4,750 mm).
Side gaskets is fitted effectively on the vertical mounting corners of the door, ensuring tight overlap on both sides of the leaf. Combined with the top and bottom gaskets, these create a perimeter seal that protects against draughts, strong wind and rain. This perimeter seal also reduces noise effectively.
Rubber gasket is fitted on the aluminium rail above.
Rolling door components – Sectional Door:
- Coupler – Connection: A part of the door mechanism, connecting the different parts of the door together.
- Torsion spring – Torsion spring: Springs are used to generate torque to open and close doors.
- Spring safety device – Spring safety device: Safety device to keep the spring from breaking when the door is operating.
- Drum – Rotation shaft: The shaft section is used to coil and unwind the cable as the door opens and closes.
- End support bracket – End support bracket: Brackets are installed at the top of the door to support the final parts of the door.
- Top aluminum profile with top weather seal – Top aluminum bar with rubber gasket on top: Aluminum bar on the top of the door, comes with rubber gasket for weather protection.
- Horizontal track – Cross rail: The door guide rail goes horizontally.
- C-profile – C-shaped: C-shaped shape of the door frame sections.
- Spring bumper – Spring bumper: The spring is used to reduce impact when the door is closed.
- Vertical angle – Vertical angle: Vertical angles are used to install door panels.
- Vertical track – Vertical track: The door guide rail goes vertically.
- Bottom aluminum profile with bottom weather seal – Bottom aluminum bar with rubber gasket at the bottom: Aluminum bar at the bottom of the door, comes with rubber gasket for weather protection.
- Bracket for shaft operator – Bracket for shaft operator: Bracket for mounting the door control shaft.
- Shaft operator – Control shaft: Door opening mechanism control device.
- Side weather seal – Side gasket: Gaskets are used to protect the side. cold storage door from the weather
- Top support – Top support: Bracket to support the top of the door.
- Hinges – Hinges: Hinges are used to connect door panels together.
- Panel – Door panel: The boards are joined together to form the door.
- Side support – Side support: Brackets to support the sides of the door.
- Footstep handle – Footstep handle: Handle used to open the door from the outside or inside.
- Cable break safety device – Cable break safety device: Safety device to prevent door collapse in case of cable breakage.
Each of these parts is an important part of the structure of the Door for industrial cargo handling chamber Standard lifting type, ensures smooth and safe operation of the door during use.
Why choose a loading dock door from Tan Long
The four points below are all verifiable, not self-assessment:
| Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Materials stated openly | SUS304 stainless steel leaf and frame 0.5 – 0.8 mm or RAL colour-coated steel 0.46 mm · PU core at 40 kg/m³ · anodised aluminium frame with a thermal break channel. |
| Imported fittings | Hinges, suspension mechanisms and locks from Stuv, Intertecnica, Imamoglu and MTH (Europe) — with model codes for reference when replacement is needed. |
| Installed in the field | 29 projects since 2005 for seafood plants, food plants and distribution cold stores. See the project portfolio. |
| Same contractor as the cold store itself | Tan Long turnkey cold storage installation, so the door is chosen to match the panel thickness and the temperature range from the design stage, rather than being fitted as an afterthought. |
Scope of work: survey the door opening and temperature range → select the model and leaf thickness → supply and install → adjust the gasket, heater wire and lock mechanism → operator training → periodic maintenance under the contract.
Comparing the 4 types of cold storage door Tan Long supplies
A cold store usually uses more than one type of door: a door for people, a door for forklifts, and a door at the loading and unloading area. The table below compares them on actual parameters so you can choose the right type for each position:
| Door type | Suitable installation position | Maximum size | What to weigh up |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-Light hinged door (TLH) | Personnel access, small and medium rooms | W 1.390 × H 2.850 mm | Lowest investment cost, but needs clearance for the leaf to swing |
| T-Light manual sliding door (TLS) | Forklift access, large openings, high-volume rooms | W 3.000 × H 6.000 mm | Takes no space when open, needs a sliding rail along the wall |
| High-Speed Door | High-traffic passageways between two areas at different temperatures | W 4.000 × H 5.500 mm | Opens at 2.4 m/s and closes at 1.2 m/s, so cold loss drops sharply; it has a motor and a control panel, so it needs periodic maintenance |
| Loading Dock Door | Loading dock area, against the container trailer | To the dock opening size of the building | Seals the gap between the trailer and the warehouse wall, blocking heat and dust during loading and unloading |
Choosing leaf thickness by cold room temperature range
For both the hinged (TLH) and the manual sliding (TLS) lines, the leaf thickness is chosen by the operating temperature of the room, not by the door size:
| Warehouse type | Temperature range | Model | Leaf thickness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool storage | 0°C to 8°C | TLH75 / TLS75 | 75 mm |
| Deep-freeze store | 0°C to -28°C | TLH100 / TLS100 | 100 mm |
| Freezer | 0°C to -45°C | TLH125 / TLS125 | 125 mm |
From 100 mm upwards, the door is fitted with heater wire in the frame to keep the gasket and frame from freezing at sub-zero temperatures. Choosing too little thickness is the most common reason doors collect moisture, build up frost and lose gasket contact after only a few seasons of operation.
Comparison with other cold storage door types
The loading dock door is a separate package for the area adjoining the truck. Inside the cold store, the following types are used:
- High-Speed Door — for forklift routes in continuous use between chambers.
- T-Light manual sliding door — large openings on narrow walkways.
- T-Light hinged door — secondary doors and low-traffic routes.
Xem an overview of the four cold storage door types and how to choose by position.
Frequently asked questions about loading dock doors
What does a loading dock door package include?
A complete loading dock comprises three items working together: the dock shelter, which seals the gap between the trailer and the warehouse wall; the hydraulic dock leveller, which compensates for the height difference between the warehouse floor and the truck bed; and the sectional door, which closes the bay when nothing is being loaded. Without any one of the three, the heat getting in is still substantial.
Why is the loading dock the biggest point of heat loss?
Because it is the only point where the cold store opens to the outside environment for a long period, with a gap around the trailer. Hot humid air flows in continuously throughout loading and unloading, quite unlike an entrance door that is only open for a few seconds. This is also why the dock shelter usually pays back faster than other insulation packages.
How do a mechanical and an automatic dock leveller differ?
The mechanical type is operated by hand, costs less to invest in and suits stores with a low frequency of vehicle movements. The automatic hydraulic type is operated by push button, and is faster and less physically demanding, which suits stores with many vehicle movements each day. The choice should be based on the number of vehicles per shift, not on the price of the equipment.
Can a loading dock be used for a deep freezer store?
Yes, but it needs a specific configuration: the gaskets and shelter fabric must be cold-resistant types, and the moving parts need anti-freeze protection. For deep freezer stores, many plants also add an intermediate temperature buffer area between the dock and the main store to reduce thermal shock.
Is a high speed door also needed in the dock area?
It is advisable, in the position between the dock area and the main store. The sectional door of the dock bay closes when no goods are being handled, while the quick open and close door handles the continuous forklift movements during loading and unloading. The two types do two different jobs.
Does Tan Long build both the cold store and the loading dock?
Yes. Tan Long builds cold stores turnkey including the loading and unloading area, so the floor level, the dock opening size and the panel thickness are calculated together from the design stage rather than being fitted afterwards once the store is finished.
Request consulting and a cold storage door quotation
Send us the door size (width × height), the operating temperature range of the room and the installation position so Tan Long can select the right model and leaf thickness. Call 0933 357 058 (Mr. Thinh) or send a quotation request.
The loading dock door consulting and supply process at Tan Long
Tan Long controls both design and manufacture at its plant in Duc Hoa 1 Industrial Park, Tay Ninh (formerly Long An), so the investor deals with a single point of contact from survey to handover:
- Survey and requirement definition: engineers work directly at the plant to establish capacity, layout, refrigerant and real operating conditions.
- Technical proposal: calculating a suitable configuration and discussing it with the investor's technical team before it is fixed.
- Detailed design: drawings are prepared and materials and equipment selected to match the refrigerant and the operating temperature range.
- Manufacture and works testing: machining, assembly and a test run before the unit leaves the factory.
- Installation and acceptance: connection into the plant's system, load testing and handover with the technical documentation.
- Warranty and operating support: operating instructions for the plant's technical team and fault support during the warranty period.
Related technical reading
- How to arrange goods in cold storage for effective preservation
- What is refrigerated storage? Principles, methods and temperature standards by product
- Cold store classification: 5 technical criteria and how to choose the right type
- Storing dried squid in bulk in a cold store: temperature and humidity standards
- Cold store repair: how to identify faults and the expert troubleshooting process
