Project Summary
Customer needed to eliminate unsafe parts handling on yard ramps.
Title : Replacing Yard Ramps
Customer : Large Manufacturer
Overview
A major aerospace manufacturer needed a safer, faster way to move large, high-value aircraft components at a ground-level facility. Yard ramps created unacceptable risk, and traditional dock construction wasn’t feasible. They selected the Forklift Max® Speed-Lift® for its heavy-duty cantilever design, 25,000 LB capacity, and ability to eliminate unsafe ramp handling.
The Customer Problem
The manufacturer’s assembly campus operates entirely at ground level, with multiple truck access bays but no raised docks. Their teams had been unloading oversized aircraft components using yard ramps, often walking carts and sensitive parts down steep, uneven slopes—a use case yard ramps were never designed for.
The risks kept climbing:
- High-value components could be damaged
- Operators were exposed to strain and slip hazards
- Forklifts could not safely navigate the incline
- Throughput slowed whenever weather or ramp angle worked against them
With 6–8 bays to service, adding truck wells or constructing new docks was too costly, too disruptive, and often restricted by site constraints. They needed a surface-mounted solution that could handle extreme weight and variable truck heights—without building anything.
Limitations of Traditional Solutions
Yard Ramps
- Too steep and unstable for sensitive aerospace parts
- Unsafe for cart traffic and marginal for forklifts
- Slower and weather-dependent
- Consumed large amounts of yard space
Truck Wells
- Excavation across 6–8 bays was cost-prohibitive
- Soil, drainage, and permitting challenges made the project impractical
Traditional Docks or Levelers
- Entire facility was ground level, with no structural support for elevated docks
- Levelers do nothing when the entire approach is at grade
- Construction downtime would interrupt production
None of the conventional choices solved the core problem: safe, controlled elevation change for oversized, fragile parts.
Why Speed-Lift Was Selected
Yard Ramps
- Too steep and unstable for sensitive aerospace parts
- Unsafe for cart traffic and marginal for forklifts
- Slower and weather-dependent
- Consumed large amounts of yard space
Truck Wells
- Excavation across 6–8 bays was cost-prohibitive
- Soil, drainage, and permitting challenges made the project impractical
Traditional Docks or Levelers
- Entire facility was ground level, with no structural support for elevated docks
- Levelers do nothing when the entire approach is at grade
- Construction downtime would interrupt production
None of the conventional choices solved the core problem: safe, controlled elevation change for oversized, fragile parts.
Configuration Selected
Model: Forklift Max® Speed-Lift®
Capacity: 25,000 LB
Platform Size: 96″ W × 252″ L (largest configuration available)
Safety & Performance Options:
Side Frame Enclosure
End Accordion Curtain
Light/Alarm Package
Extended Platform Frames
Swing-Away Towbar Assembly for easy movement between bays
This setup allowed them to unload components either on carts or via large forklifts, all on a level surface.
Measurable Improvements
- Eliminated all yard-ramp handling, removing a major safety hazard
- Protected high-value components from slope-related damage
- Standardized unloading across 6–8 bays without construction
- Reduced cycle time with 10–15 second up/down speeds
- Improved ergonomic safety by removing steep walking paths
- Enabled flexible deployment—lift can be towed to interior bays in minutes
They ordered additional Forklift Max® units to expand the solution across multiple bays, and plan to replace additional yard ramps over time.
