An easy guide to choosing the right enclosure hinge

August 19, 2022

Ross Castors

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There are a number of variations of hinges, all with a specific purpose, so how can you find the right one for your requirements?

There are a number of considerations to take when deciding on the right hinge, like hinge size; hinges should be large enough to hold the weight of the door whilst not being too large that it hinders it’s use. There are also some hinge characteristics which are less obvious and require more consideration, this guide is to help you chose the appropriate enclosure hinge for your application.

Material

The easiest way to differentiate between plastic and metal hinges is that plastic hinges are reliable, cheaper, lighter and resistant to chemicals and heat, whereas metal hinges are more durable and able to support heavier weights.

Enclosure hinge installation and mounting type

Some enclosure hinges can be mounted on either the interior or exterior of a door, whilst others have to be on a specific side. Make sure you know which you need before you buy.

Mounting externally is generally simpler as there is greater variety of hinge in terms of type, size and material. Some features (detents and adjustable torque) are only available with externally mounted hinges.

Internal hinges provide greater security and service life as the hinge is concealed by the door.

Lift-off enclosure hinges

Lift-off hinges provide a quick and easy method of removing a door panel from an enclosure, allowing maintenance to be undertaken without the door restricting access.

Example of a lift off hinge on our website;

Detent hinges

Detent hinges feature an integral Locking mechanism which holds doors and panels open at predetermined angles, they’re designed to give hands-free access to the interior of cabinets and enclosures.

Example of a detent hinge on our website;

Positioning hinges

Positioning hinges fall into two categories - constant torque hinges and adjustable torque hinges.

Constant torque hinges have a constant rate of torque throughout their range of motion. This provides sufficient resistance to hold lightweight cabinet and enclosure doors open to a position convenient to the user.

Adjustable torque hinges have the added benefit of an adjustment screw which gives the user control over the frictional holding torque. The screw allows the user to change the level of resistance required to open and close the hinge and allow lids, doors and panels to be held open at any angle. Once the screw has been adjusted the positioning torque will remain the same through the full range of motion, allowing the doors to stay steady in place.

Example of a positioning hinge on our website;

Surface mounted enclosure hinges

These are a standard choice, and similar to traditional hinges, are strong, simple and durable. These are availiable in a range of materials and are foten used on machinery and manufacturing equipment.

Example of a Surface mounted enclosure hinge on our website;