Optimized vs. Extended Lip Chamfer

When it comes to loading dock levelers, safety cannot be overstated. A dock leveler bridges the gap from warehouse floor to the vehicle bed. When the material handler crosses over the dock leveler and into the bed, the last part of that transition is the leveler’s lip and lip chamfer.

What is a Dock Leveler Lip Chamfer?

The lip chamfer is the leading edge of the lip and the shape of the edge ensures a smooth transition for your operators, forklifts, and products to move from the trailer to the dock and vice versa. Depending on the performance standard requirements of the facility, the lip of the leveler ranges in thickness to accommodate for the demands of the materials being transferred. Rite-Hite dock levelers come standard with the industry’s longest lip chamfer, which helps ensure the safety of material handlers by helping prevent dock shock. Based on facility needs and applications, our dock leveler lip chamfers have two product configurations:

• Optimized Dock Leveler Lip Chamfer
• Extended Dock Leveler Lip Chamfer

Optimized Lip Chamfer for Loading Dock Levelers

The optimized dock leveler lip chamfer is standard with a length of 3 inches that extends into the trailer bed from the dock lip. An optimized dock lip chamfer tapers the edge of the leveler lip and provides a more gradual transition for material handlers as they move from the leveler lip to trailer bed floor, helping to prevent the jarring effects of Dock Shock. For traditional applications, the optimized dock lip chamfer can be paired with an extended lip length as part of a complete Smooth Transition Dok System®. It helps provide additional lip purchase (area where the leveler lip overlaps the trailer bed floor) to help prevent the dock lip from dropping off the sill of the inbound trailer. Optimized lip chamfer dock levelers include:

• RHM-4000 Mechanical Dock Leveler
• RHA-4000 Air-Power Dock Leveler
• RHH-4000 Hydraulic Dock Leveler
• RHV-4100 Vertical Storing Dock Leveler
• Genysis Series by Rite-Hite Dock Levelers   

Extended Lip Chamfer for Loading Dock Levelers

Since not every facility’s needs are the same, Rite-Hite developed an extended lip chamfer to accommodate for higher performance rating dock levelers. These levelers require thicker leveler lips to meet the demands of facilities with higher gross weight and frequency of materials being transferred. The extended dock leveler lip chamfer not only tapers the edge of the lip, but extends the chamfer length for a smoother transition into the vehicle bed. To further increase the smoothness of the leveler, an extended lip length (9” lip purchase) is also recommended for dock levelers with extended lip chamfers. Outside of reduced Dock Shock, having this additional purchase in the bed of the trailer helps to combat potential injuries caused by “trailer creep” during the loading process. Extended lip chamfer dock levelers include:

• RHH-5000 High Capacity Hydraulic Dock Leveler
• RHJ-5000 Jumbo Dock Levelers

Which Lip Chamfer Is Right For You?

Understanding what a chamfer is and its functionality is key to knowing which dock leveler lip chamfer is right for you. The length and thickness of the dock leveler lip may vary depending on the need and loading dock requirements and will factor into which lip chamfer is chosen. Choosing a dock leveler with either lip chamfer option helps protect material handlers, products and equipment. Dock leveler lip chamfers that are not optimized or extended run a higher risk of potential injury to employees or damage to equipment and products.

Helping Improve Loading Dock Safety

An optimized or extended dock leveler lip chamfer helps reduce the bodily impact felt when repeatedly driving over it during the loading process. As part of Rite-Hite’s full Smooth Transition Dock System, this feature not only helps prevent long-term injuries to employees, but decreases wear and tear and the ownership cost of material handling equipment by minimizing the damage that can be caused by Dock Shock.

Rite-Hite's Smooth Transition includes either an optimized or extended lip chamfer, but it is also a full collection of masterfully engineered features that make up an entire preventative system designed to keep your personnel and products safe. Contact a Rite-Hite representative today for additional information on which lip chamfer is right for you and how you can implement this system into your facility to help improve loading dock safety.

  Learn More About Extended & Optimized Lip Chamfer Levelers