Hinges

Many people ask themselves again and again which types of hinges are available and which hinges are intended for which applications. What kind of elements are hinges and what is their function? A good question, because hinges can come in many different designs and also in different materials. We also want to go into more detail about how hinges are constructed in detail and which storage variations we can offer you. In the last section, we will discuss how hinges can be manufactured cost-effectively in today's ultra-modern times. Many questions, which we would like to answer for you. Let us start with the question of what a hinge is intended for and how it works. Hinges belong to the hinge elements and the connecting elements that can connect components with each other and also allow a change of direction between two components without the two components separating from each other due to the built-in hinge. These are hinges that can only be bent in one direction and are equipped with a pin that is mounted as the hinge pivot. Hinges have been around for a very long time and were already used in the Middle Ages to implement certain, not so high-tech movements. Of course the hinges have been improved over time and so the demands on such elements have increased more and more. Basically, hinges always work according to the same principle and always connect two separate components with each other in such a way that they can be moved easily and without problems after installation by the pin joint. Hinges are low-cost connecting elements that can be screwed or welded to bag components. These elements can therefore be installed in all industrial plants without any problems and without suffering any mechanical disadvantages. The materials used for hinges are always plastic hinges as the basic version. These are light and can already take over most demanding tasks for you today, thanks to ever better composite plastics which are highly resilient. In the following articles we would like to tell you a little more about the different versions of industrial hinges.

In this article we would simply like to go into more detail about the two basic types of hinges that are increasingly being used in industry and also increasingly in the private sector to connect components with each other by means of a rotary movement in such a way that although they are firmly screwed together, they can still follow a rotary movement to a certain extent and thus connect components with each other via a pivot point. Among the most common hinges you can find in the industry, all elements are made of metal parts and are not cast in one piece, but punched out of sheet metal and then rolled. These versions of hinges can be installed in a wide range of mechanical applications. These sheet metal hinges can be found for light applications as well as for the heaviest versions and thickest rolled sheet metal hinges. Let us introduce you to the production of hinges made from sheet metal. In order to produce such elements, it is first of all important that the raw formed sheets are either punched out and/or, in the case of thicker sheets, can also be lasered. No matter how the sheets are produced, you will get all the basic contours necessary for forming a hinge. Once all the sheet metal parts have been cut to size and already have the recesses required for such a hinge, the process can continue and the hinge edge of the sheet metal can now be neatly folded or rolled up on a sheet rolling machine. The resulting sleeve shape is the basis for placing a pin as a pivot point, which can rotate the two hinge halves together. This procedure can now be repeated for all sheet metal parts to enable the assembly of the finished hinge element by inserting and riveting the pin. The individual sheet metal parts can be produced either as a version without holes or as perforated plates to fasten screws. These sheet metal hinges are essential for medium to heavy industrial applications on hoods and other sheet metal parts.

We have just been able to show you how hinges are manufactured or produced from thin-walled sheet metal parts or thick-walled sheets. In this article we will only deal with those hinges that can be produced by a casting or spraying process. This group includes all plastic hinges which have to be produced by an injection moulding process. All steel hinges and stainless steel hinges are also hinge joints that can only be produced economically as castings. However, we would like to start with all hinges that are made of plastic and have to be produced by injection moulding of machines. In order to make such a production possible, the first step is always to mill the plastic moulds in a steel part in such a way that the finished hinge contour is visible. This requires two moulds that fit together when closed and can then be clamped on an injection moulding machine. An extruder process is then used for this, whereby the closed mould is firmly filled by high pressure. In this way a part of the hinge is injected. Debai all drillings are present and also the drilling for the hinge bolt. If enough of these hinge parts are injected, they can be assembled to a working part by assembling. When manufacturing a cast steel hinge or a cast stainless steel hinge, the process is slightly different from that for a plastic hinge. First of all, the individual parts must be made from hard wax as far as possible, so that the entire wax mould can be dipped into a mud bath to start the firing process in a furnace. Now the actual firing process begins because now the mud layer is burned out to a hard shell and becomes extremely resilient. In this same process the wax inside the mould evaporates and the wax evaporates. This means that what remains is a shell that is extremely hard and hollow inside. This shell, which is the shape of the future hinge, can now be easily filled with a liquid steel or stainless steel in a further process. When the procedure is completed and the steel has cooled down, the sludge shell can be broken up and part of the finished hinge comes out. Now the reworking begins, such as drilling the fixing holes or the pin joint hole. Finally, the surface is sanded clean and polished if necessary. When all parts are finished, the final assembly to a finished steel hinge or even a stainless steel hinge can be done by mounting the pin. Once all these steps are completed, the goods are stored in our warehouse until your order is received and we can ship the goods to you.