The addition of a commercial kitchen created a height difference between the existing building and the new extension, making it difficult to transport goods within the facility. To move kitchen equipment and meal trolleys between the two building levels, the customer opted for a custom-designed dock lift table from Janzen Lifttechnik.
Why was a ramp not used?
With a height difference of 760 mm between the existing building and the new extension, a ramp with an assumed gradient of 10.5% would have required a horizontal length of approximately 7.24 m. However, there was not enough space available. Installing such a ramp would have required extensive structural modifications and would also have blocked access to an important adjoining room.
The physical effort involved was another reason against this solution: regularly pushing meal trolleys up such a ramp would have been physically demanding for staff in the long term.
How much space would a ramp require at your site? Use our free ramp calculator to work out the required ramp length based on the height difference and your chosen gradient.
What Are the Benefits of the Dock Lift Table?
Space-Saving and Convenient Goods Transport
With a platform length of just 1.4 m, the dock lift table requires significantly less space than the originally considered ramp, which would have been approximately 7.24 m long.
Transporting meal trolleys is also easier: instead of having to push them up a long ramp, staff can move the trolleys between the two levels at the touch of a button.
Removable Guardrails with Electrical Monitoring
Access to an adjoining room is located directly next to the lift table and needed to remain fully accessible. The platform was therefore equipped with removable guardrails.
When the platform is in its lower position, the guardrails can be removed, allowing goods to be transported across the platform while keeping access to the adjoining room clear.
To prevent the lift table from being operated accidentally without the guardrails in place, their position is electrically monitored. The platform can only move when all guardrails are correctly installed.
Why Was a Stainless Steel Version Not Chosen?
Stainless steel lift tables are often used in commercial kitchens because their surfaces are easy to clean and can meet stringent hygiene requirements.
In this project, however, the dock lift table is located in the goods receiving area rather than in the kitchen itself. As the lift table does not come into direct contact with food, the customer opted for a painted finish with a two-component polyurethane coating.
This eliminated the need for a more expensive stainless steel version.
