Only Loading Dock Manufacturer to Raise Industry Safety and Performance Standard
FORT WORTH, TX – May 2009 – Bluff Manufacturing, Inc., a leading designer and producer of high quality dock, warehouse and safety equipment since 1968, remains the industry’s only manufacturer of portable loading dock equipment compliant with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private, non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system throughout the U.S.
Spearheaded by Bluff Manufacturing in 2007, in conjunction with the Material Handling Industry of America’s (MHIA) and Loading Dock Equipment Manufacturers (LODEM) trade associations, the ANSI MH30.2 Standard outlines mechanical and structural design guidelines along with usage, operation and maintenance standards for portable loading dock equipment.
According to Clark Smith, president of Bluff Manufacturing, the company recognized the need for a standard to ensure safety and empower customers to make better buying decisions about portable loading dock equipment. In the past, manufacturers used the same sources for steel and aluminum, but that changed when domestic sources disappeared. Replaced by foreign sources with differing standards and qualities, products have become vastly different.
Since its adoption, Bluff Manufacturing set out to conform to the ANSI MH30.2 Standard and to-date, is the only company to manufacture and test all aluminum dock plates, aluminum dock boards and steel dock boards to meet the ANSI MH30.2 criteria. In working with the Saginaw Valley State University’s Engineering Department, Bluff Manufacturing created a large hydraulic test stand to stress products and determine handling capacities.
In addition to the test for overall strength, as has been a longstanding practice for dock board manufacturers, the standard incorporates a test which sets limits for deflection of product while under load. This test ensures the integrity of the slope of the ramp; loss of shape will result in grades which may not be usable for certain equipment.
“The testing process is elaborate, but confirms material quality and product durability which is critical to the end-user,” states Smith. “The ANSI MH30.2 Standard improves safety and performance for customers and we strongly believe it is important for the entire industry to deliver compliant products. Not only does the ANSI MH30.2 standard speak to the quality of our products, but also our reputation.”
About Bluff Manufacturing
For more than 40 years, Bluff Manufacturing has been recognized as an innovative leader in the fabrication and design of high quality dock, warehouse and safety equipment. Bluff Manufacturing is the only company to meet the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) MH30.2 standard, ensuring the highest quality products and providing customers with the greatest possible value. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Bluff Manufacturing serves the entire U.S. through a national distributor network, and the company’s 12 distribution warehouses ensure quick delivery of the company’s entire product line including yard ramps, dock boards, dock levelers, wheel risers, and CrashGuard safety barrier products. For additional information, contact Bluff Manufacturing at toll free (800) 433-2212 or www.bluffmanufacturing.com.
