Commercial work can have so many different varies of weight expectations. So therefore, depending upon the weight of the cargo/load and size of the vans expected to carry them will also determine the size of the aluminium loading ramp that is to be used to load the vans. It is very important to calculate the van’s Safe Working Load (SWL) to ensure that a loading Aluminium Van ramp is designed to withstand the weight and long enough to allow for a gradient that is not too steep for the slope for safely loading and unloading the van.
What is a Safe Working Load (SWL)?
A Safe Working Load (SWL) is the maximum weight a ramp can hold. Exceeding this limit can break the ramp and cause injury. When calculating your total load, always combine the weight of the equipment, the pallet truck, and the operator, as all three rest on the ramp simultaneously. Here at DNA Ramps, our Heavy-Duty Aluminium Van Ramps cater to various commercial needs, offering SWL capacities of 400kg, 600kg, 800kg, and up to 1000kg.
Gradient of the Slope/Length of the Heavy-Duty Aluminium Van Ramp
The height of the floor of the van that the Heavy-Duty Aluminium Van Ramp will be used on will help to determine a safe length that the ramp needs to be to allow for a safe incline for loading and unloading the van. This is important as a slope with a steep incline can cause injury and make it difficult to move big and heavy items up and down the ramp safely. For an approximate idea as to how long your heavy-duty aluminium van ramp needs to be, simply just measure the height of your van floor from the ground and times the answer by 3.3, this will give you an approximate safe minimum length for a heavy-duty aluminium van ramp . Here at DNA Ramps, we offer heavy-duty aluminium van ramps from 1500mm long to 3000mm long.
Width of Heavy-Duty Aluminium Van Ramp
Your Heavy-Duty Aluminium Van Ramp width is also an important design factor. The ramp needs to be wide enough to fit your loads on, whether it be flight cases, furniture, machinery etc. loaded by pallet trucks. However, it is also important not to design the ramp too wide, as it has to fit within the rear doorway of the van. Here at DNA Ramps, we have heavy-duty aluminium van ramps with widths ranging from 700mm to 1000mm.
Safety Features of Heavy-Duty Aluminium Van Ramps at DNA Ramps
Here at DNA Ramps we understand the importance of working safely, therefore we take pride in designing our heavy-duty aluminium van ramps with the following safewty features to help prevent any accidents and injuries from occurring;
- Serrated flooring to allow for traction when wheeling or walking items on and off the ramp, and to help prevent slips and falls in wet weather conditions.
- Raised edges on either side of the ramp to prevent anything/anyone steering off or falling of the ramp.
- Tapered at each end of the ramp to allow for a smooth transition from ground to ramp and ramp to van and vice versa.
- Easy to use and set up hook-on/pin connection to allow for a quick and easy set up for use.
- Lightweight design to make it easy to set up and put away by an individual person.
- Hand welded to allow strength and durability during the heaviest of jobs.
If you want any advice or wish to enquire about a heavy-duty aluminium van ramp for your commercial fleet of vans, please contact us here at DNA Ramps on 0121 5578726 or email our sales team at sales@dnaramps.co.uk to enquire.
