AGRO Merchants Group, Urk | Efficient docking systems maintain temperature

In the distribution logistics of cold stores, besides fast supply and removal, temperature maintenance plays an important role. To this end, the docks of AGRO Merchants Group's new expansion are equipped with high-quality levellers, shelters and sectional doors from Rite Hite. "When the doors of the docks are opened, inflatable shelters come into effect that completely enclose the truck. This creates a thermal shell between the cargo area and the cold store," says Account Manager Peter Bonsink of Rite Hite.

The originally American specialist in docking systems supplies the dock levellers, dock shelters and sectional dock doors for the new docks of AGRO Merchants Group in Urk. The hydraulic dock levellers were cast into the concrete shell of the DC extension and level out the difference in height between truck and logistics floor. The supplied dock doors are called T-doors, referring to their shape. These sectional doors lower in front of the levellers, again in reference to the temperature difference between inside and outside. The inflatable dock seals are made of PVC and are inflated by a fan. Bonsink: "This way, a complete thermal shell is created around the truck's loading opening, with low temperature drop. This is a semi-automatic solution, operated independently by the truck driver or logistics employee."

Refrigerator-freezer doors

The temperature in the docking area of AGRO Merchants Group's cold store in Urk is +7 degrees Celsius. Further along in the building is a very low temperature deep-freeze warehouse, which must be accessed in an equally efficient manner. To this end, Rite Hite supplies two sectional refrigerator-freezer doors of the Barrier Glider type, a double sliding door solution. Says Bonsink, "These are high-speed doors with a height of just under five meters, allowing pallet trucks to use the full transport capacity. The doors are made of fully insulating, collision-resistant fiberglass panels, with heat ribbons on the sides to prevent freezing. The Iso-Tek® panel construction is combined with the Thermal Air™ sealing system, which helps achieve superior environmental separation at the opening, with lower energy costs." Rite Hite rotated fully into the operational logistics during implementation, with assembly performed in-house.