Hinges for refrigeration equipment and steel furniture

How to choose

A hinge is chosen for the door weight, the mounting method and the closing action required

The first figure is the maximum leaf weight per hinge – from 10 to 30 kg in this range. On refrigerator doors, the gasket, the glass or the insulating filling have to be added to the weight of the leaf itself, because these are most often what tips the scale. Exceeding the declared value does not end in an immediate failure, but in the door gradually dropping and losing its seal.

The second decision is the mounting. A screw-on hinge needs access to both sides or threaded holes, a weld-in hinge gives the stiffest joint in steel structures, a piano hinge spreads the load over the whole height, and a glass hinge clamps onto the pane and requires its thickness to be stated.

The third matter is self-closing. A self-closing hinge brings the door back to the closed position from a given angle, which on refrigeration equipment means fewer cold losses when the staff are inattentive. Slow-closing hinges are listed separately and are described by torque – there what counts is how slowly the leaf drops, not whether it closes.

The material is chosen to suit the surroundings. ZnAl5 is the standard in refrigerated cabinets, stainless steel comes in where there is water, washing and sanitary requirements, polyamide and plastics are lighter and cheaper. Brackets and bushes complete the set – without them a hinge is sometimes incomplete.