Hörmann takes centre stage at new 101 – door TNT depot

As one of the world’s biggest express couriers, TNT delivers close to 1 million consignments every day.

With tens of thousands of customers across the South West of England, TNT decided to construct a new £15.5 million super depot in Swindon, removing the need for items to be passed through its Midlands hub. This would not only increase operational efficiency and free up capacity elsewhere in the network, but also reduce the environmental impact of transportation.

TNT approached IDI Gazeley to deliver the new build-to-suit warehouse. The developer contracted Simons Construction to manage the build and Kam Project Consultants as employer’s agent and cost consultant.

With the brief and site specification all agreed by TNT, Kam and IDI Gazeley, loading bay and industrial door manufacturer Hörmann was appointed to supply the equipment for the building’s 101 docking bays.

As the Swindon hub will see deliveries heading out to addresses across the South West, around two thirds of the doors on site are designed specifically for use by vans and PUD trucks. A further 40 docking bays for large trailers were also installed, with doors covering a full three sides of the building.

Hörmann’s SPU F42 electric sectional doors were chosen for the large loading bays. These PUinfilled doors offer good levels of thermal insulation, helping TNT to reduce the environmental impact of its operations and minimise energy losses.

Dock levellers with swing lips were installed to allow easy unloading from trailers. The hinged lip of these levellers creates a secure connection with the truck to ensure safe loading and unloading, while double lifting cylinders mean that forklifts can be driven across the surface of the leveller without the risk of it dropping or tilting.

For added safety, Hörmann has installed an LED traffic light system both internally and externally. This alerts staff inside the warehouse when the truck is securely docked and it is safe to unload. Similarly the driver is given a signal when unloading has been completed and it is safe to pull away from the bay.

Additional safety measures include internal loading lights to ensure staff have full visibility while unloading, dock seals to limit rainwater run-off and Nytrex slider dock bumpers to prevent damage to the loading bay as vehicles reverse.

For TNT’s 61 new PUD bays, Hörmann provided manually operated SPU F42 sectional doors, which are lightweight enough to be easily lifted on demand by loading bay operatives.

For more information on Hörmann’s industrial doors and loading bays, visit www.hormann.co.uk.

Tel: 01530 516888

Email: info@hormann.co.uk

www.hormann.co.uk