Hopper Manufacturing — Built in the USA Since 1946

Apex has been manufacturing hoppers in Cleveland, Ohio since 1946. Apex Welding and Fabrication Inc was established that year, designing and producing custom steel fabrication for a variety of applications — on the shores of Lake Erie, Apex once cut a steel ship in half to increase its length. The material handling line grew out of that fabrication work rather than being bought in.

In the nineteen fifties Apex designed and manufactured the Overhead Crane Dumping Bucket, which became a standard product still sold today. The Apex Self Dumping Lift Truck Hopper was added in the early sixties and continues to be the key component of material flow and control in bulk material handling applications. Apex is one of the oldest manufacturers of Self-Dumping Lift Truck Hoppers in the nation.

Our Manufacturing Process

Every Apex hopper is manufactured in-house at Apex’s own facility in Cleveland, Ohio — the same site where Apex Welding and Fabrication has been fabricating steel since 1946. Building under one roof is what lets Apex back the equipment with USA-made construction instead of importing an off-the-shelf unit.

The welding and reinforcement specs differ by product because the loads do. Crane buckets are constructed of hot rolled mild steel, reinforced in critical areas and 100% MIG welded. Multi-Dump Buckets are made from hot-rolled steel with continuous welds and reinforced critical load areas, including the inside bottom corners, outer lip and drop door. Bulk bins are fabricated from 3/16" steel with a 2" x 2" x 3/16" angle around the top edge.

Most orders ship within 1-3 business days. Custom orders take longer, and the team provides an estimated lead time during the ordering process.

Custom Hopper Fabrication

Apex is especially qualified and established in the fabrication of specialized, custom-manufactured units. One product won’t answer every situation, so the engineering department works with you directly to design a unit suited to your needs, and Apex will modify any standard hopper to fit your application.

Plate thickness, reinforcements and options — stacking, fork pockets, drains, casters, crane-lifting eyes, paint and more — are quoted against your actual load and stacking requirement rather than fixed at one rating. That is the practical difference between a custom fabricator and a catalogue: the bin is sized for how high you intend to stack it and what you are putting inside.

Materials & Quality

Apex products are made using high-quality, durable materials and domestic steel, with corrosion-resistant options such as galvanizing and stainless steel for harsh conditions.

The design details are engineered rather than assembled. The Solid Plate Rocker design provides a stronger, more durable hopper as opposed to a press fit, welded pins, or rivet style multi-piece assembly, and the E-Z Release handle allows dumping to be safe, effortless and quick. The APEX heavy duty line of hoppers can safely handle capacities of up to 8,000 lbs.

Industries Served

Apex supplies any and all industries that utilize forklift trucks or overhead cranes to collect, store, transport or dump bulk materials: industrial, construction, agricultural, manufacturing, automotive, landscaping, governmental, and waste and recycling.

Materials handled across those sectors include scrap steel, glass, stampings, sawdust, rubber, coal, ash, various aggregates, construction debris, solid waste, grit and screenings.

What Apex Manufactures

Request a quote and the engineering department will size the unit to your application.