Dock Equipment: Box van unloader converts trailer floor to conveyor

Carntyne Transport, a leading logistics provider to the Scottish whisky industry, noted increased palletization of casks for storage during the maturation process. In response to this growing demand, the company converted the floor of its van trailers to automate the loading and unloading of the palletized casks.

The system serves as the flooring of a trailer and is a self-unloading system. This “moving floor” unloader is made of a series of floor slats, which are powered by a hydraulic drive. As the floor cycles through its phases, material is conveyed either to the back of the truck for unloading or toward the front for loading.

In addition to the horizontal motion of the floor, select slats of the system move vertically. This unique motion of the floor prevents barrels, pallets and drums from twisting, bending or sliding.

Because the hydraulic drive is located underneath the truck body, the box van can haul an extra row of pallets when compared to other self-unloading conveyors. This not only increases the payload per trip, but it also decreases fuel costs. The system has proven to be a reliable unloading system for Carntyne Transport, requiring minimal maintenance.

Material automatically indexes during loading or unloading, allowing forklift operators to easily handle the cargo from the back of the truck box without the need for a dock. And, the floor is safe to walk and stand on should employees need to enter the truck box.

Keith Mfg. Co.
541-475-3802