RATEC Docking Units are unloading devices that connect tightly to the outlet of trucks or railcars and transfer bulk material into your system without dust generation. This makes material handling clean, safe, and fast, even with fine and dusty products. We custom-design each Docking Unit for your vehicles, your bulk material, and your unloading point, and manufacture it in our own plant in St. Veit an der Glan.
Table of Contents
How Docking Units Work
The vehicle drives over or next to the unloading point. A pneumatically operated bellows extends to the outlet of the truck or railcar and seals it tightly. Only then is the outlet opened, and the bulk material flows into the feed hopper or the subsequent conveying system. Once the vehicle is empty, the bellows retracts, and the next vehicle can dock. We adapt the drive and design to your requirements; other versions are always possible.
Why Unload Dust-Free?
Open unloading of bulk material generates large amounts of dust. This burdens personnel and the environment, contaminates vehicles and equipment, and results in product loss. In the case of combustible dusts, there is also the risk of an explosive atmosphere. A tight connection between the vehicle and the system keeps the dust within the system. Upon request, we can supply the appropriate extraction system, as extraction technology is a separate business unit of RATEC.
Your benefits
- Dust-free material handling: clean unloading point, better air quality at the workplace.
- Safe: no open discharge, no handling at the open outlet.
- Fast: short docking and changeover times between vehicles.
- Less product loss: the material fully reaches the system.
Technical specifications
| Feature | Docking Units |
|---|---|
| Application | Unloading of Trucks and Rail Vehicles |
| Principle | tight docking to the vehicle outlet, e.g., via a pneumatically operated bellows |
| Conveyed material | Powders, granulates and other bulk materials |
| Dimensions | individual for vehicle and unloading point |
| feed hopper and extraction system | included upon request |
| Materials | as required |
| Special versions | on request |
We design the construction, connection to vehicles, operation, and integration into your system individually for each project.
What matters during design
- Vehicles: trucks, silo vehicles, or railcars, location and size of outlets.
- Bulk material: grain size, flow behavior, dust tendency, temperature.
- Unloading point: track or roadway situation, feed hopper, subsequent conveying.
- Environment: extraction, Ex-zone, weather protection.
Customized by RATEC
RATEC is at home in the bulk material sector and manufactures in its own plant in Carinthia, certified according to ISO 9001, EN 1090-1, and ISO 3834-2, from single pieces to small series. We bring experience from chemistry, food, building materials, and energy supply. For emptying Big-Bags, there are dedicated Big-Bag docking stations. The photos on this page show examples from customer projects. An overview of all special components can be found under Special Components.
Are you planning an unloading station for trucks or rail?
Tell us the vehicle type, bulk material, and unloading point. We will get back to you with a concrete proposal.