An Applied Mechanics Approach to Designing a Variable-Height Dock Leveler at Kuwait Port
Received: 16 March 2025 | Revised: 14 April 2025 | Accepted: 22 April 2025 | Online: 4 June 2025
Corresponding author: Turki AlQemlas
Abstract
A dock leveler is a crucial platform used at loading docks to bridge the gap between a truck bed and the dock surface, which facilitates the safe and efficient transfer of goods using forklifts. The purpose of this study is to design a PNIS dock leveler that optimizes cost efficiency while enhancing operational performance. The proposed design offers a robust and effective solution tailored for implementation at Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait. A comprehensive analysis of the system is conducted using ANSYS for design simulation under various operational conditions and SolidWorks for precise design modeling. The analysis confirms that the ASTM A36 structure, with a yield strength of 250 MPa, ensures a robust and reliable design. The findings indicate that the improved structure minimizes deflection to 3.28 mm and stress to 218.23 MPa while maintaining a sufficient factor of safety, effectively addressing previous design limitations and enhancing overall performance.
Keywords:
PNIS, dock leveler, automation, ANSYS, SolidWorks, modeling, height adjustmentDownloads
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Copyright (c) 2025 Hussein Mutair, Abdul Hadi Elaydi, Ahmed Alhajri, Ahmed Alazmi, Sulaiman Alduwaihees, Turki Al-Qemlas
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