# Custom Loading Dock Components

https://kdisplay.com/products/door-access-systems/loading-dock-components

K-Display, a Chicago sheet metal fabricator, builds covers, brackets, backing plates, and welded lip and frame assemblies for dock levelers and vehicle restraints from your equipment drawings. Parts ship bare, powder coated, or with studs, nuts, and fasteners installed.

## Overview
We build loading dock components as the sheet metal parts of dock levelers, vehicle restraints, and similar equipment: covers and access panels, mounting brackets, backing and connection plates, and lip, frame, and keeper weldments. Covers and plates are cut and formed from carbon steel, galvanized steel, galvanneal, stainless steel, or aluminum. Brackets with welded gussets and the weldments are welded in carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. We laser cut, form, and MIG or TIG weld the parts, install studs, nuts, and fasteners, and powder coat. Parts leave bare, powder coated, or with…

## Process
- Laser cut and brake form: We laser cut covers, brackets, and plates flat, then form the returns and bracket legs.
- Weld and set hardware: We fit and weld the gussets and weldments in a sequence that holds the mating faces flat, then install any studs, nuts, or fasteners.
- Mask, powder coat, and pack: We mask the bolt holes and mating faces, powder coat, and pack the parts labeled by part number.

## Typical parts
- Covers and access panels: Shallow formed covers with fastener holes and service-opening overlap.
- Mounting brackets: Cut and formed brackets with welded gussets and the mating hole pattern.
- Backing and connection plates: Flat plates laser cut with the hole pattern of the connection.
- Lip, frame, and keeper weldments: Welded assemblies of cut and formed members that make up a leveler's lip, frame, and keeper.

## Design considerations
- Travel envelope: The platform, lip, and linkage sweep through a space as the leveler moves. A cover or bracket in that sweep binds the mechanism.
- Weld distortion: Welding heat moves a part as the joint cools. A weldment pulled out of square does not mate with the structure it mounts to.
- Powder film on fit faces: Powder adds film thickness to every coated surface. A mating face or bolt hole coated over closes up by that thickness, and the part does not seat.

## Related pages
- [Laser Cutting](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/cutting-forming/laser-cutting)
- [Sheet Metal Forming & Bending](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/cutting-forming/forming)
- [MIG & TIG Welding](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/welding/mig-tig-welding)
- [Powder Coating](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/finishing/powder-coating)
- [Door & Access Systems](https://kdisplay.com/products/door-access-systems)
- [Frames & Weldments](https://kdisplay.com/products/frames-weldments)
- [Brackets & Plates](https://kdisplay.com/products/brackets-plates)