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441 Chandler Street, Jamestown, NY 14701
Weber Knapp

Heavy-Duty Industrial Hinges | From Cabinets to Testing Chambers

Picture this: you’re a scientist, developing important, new drugs to cure a disease everyone once thought incurable. As you make your way to the centrifuge, a great idea pops into your head — something really revolutionary. But as you lift the centrifuge lid, it’s so heavy you have to focus on not dropping it, and poof — the idea is gone, lost in the wrinkles of your brain. 

Working in a high-stakes laboratory is obviously stressful, but heavy or unwieldy equipment shouldn’t get in the way of innovation. If anything, this equipment should be a seamless integration of innovation. 

That’s where heavy-duty industrial hinges come into play.

Weber Knapp’s stellar engineering team, with its Vectis software in hand and thinking caps on, is dedicated to designing heavy-duty lid stays and counterbalance hinges to improve the efficiency of: 

  • Industrial equipment
  • Laboratory and testing equipment
  • Commercial and cosmetic tools
  • Museum display cases
  • And more!

The goal of counterbalancing and motion control is to make life easier, not harder, which is why Weber Knapp has made designing heavy-duty industrial hinges simple and fast. Take a look below to see how Weber Knapp has been pairing innovative design and efficiency to improve industrial and commercial settings.

Making the Most of Heavy-Duty Industrial Hinges

Applied Materials - Vacuum Chamber
Safety First
Bemco Vectra
Ease of Use
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Design Details

All of Weber Knapp’s counterbalance hinges and heavy-duty lid stays are custom-made. That ensures that all projects have a hinge that hits all the design specifications to the best of their ability while maintaining cost efficiency. 

A custom  hinge for your specific application offers many benefits:

  • Increased safety
  • Reduced risk of damaging the equipment
  • Ergonomic – reduces strain!
  • Lightweight

Whether you need soft-close hinges, or just something that can hold an extremely heavy lid, counterbalancing is your best option. Our baseline counterbalance hinges have been tested to 100,000 cycles and can be designed for longer life cycles as needed. 

To demonstrate the power of motion control, take a look at some of our recent projects!

Case Study: Applied Materials Vacuum Chamber

Applied Materials, a manufacturer of material engineering equipment, realized that the gas springs on their vacuum chambers weren’t cutting it. Weber Knapp stepped in and designed a counterbalance hinge that not only increased the safety of the chamber, but also made lifting the heavy lid far easier. 

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Applied Materials - Vacuum Chamber

Case Study: Bemco Vectra Environmental Test Chamber

Bemco Inc. specializes in environmental test chambers as well as other testing/simulation equipment for aerospace, automobile, and other industries. When Bemco was looking to improve the efficiency of their Vectra test chamber, it came to Weber Knapp! Designing a custom hinge to lift the 150 lb. lid was no small task, but Weber Knapp rose to the challenge…

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Bemco Vectra

Unlocking Motion Control’s Potential: From Design to Installation

Motion control and counterbalance hinges are extremely helpful for increasing workplace efficiency and safety, but how do you know if custom heavy-duty industrial hinges are right for your application?

At Weber Knapp, we believe that if it has a hinge, it can benefit from motion control. We’ve worked in a variety of industries and have not only the design experience, but also the manufacturing capabilities to see a project from start to finish. 

Our technicians are skilled at:

  • CNC turning, laser cutting, and routing
  • Hydraulic press braking
  • Progressive stamping
  • Powder coating
  • Electroplating

And who’s to say that we can only use our machines for hinge manufacturing? Anything goes — whether you need a complex logo cut from sheet metal or custom-made brackets, we love putting our machinery to work!

To learn more about what Weber Knapp is capable of, contact us!

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Frequently Asked Questions From Our Design Firm Partners

Our goal is to ensure your project runs as smoothly as possible. We accomplish this through transparency, and partnership. To help us get off on the right foot, here are some answers to questions that may be on your mind:

I have an application in mind, but how do I get started?

I have an application in mind, but how do I get started?

Dimensions are the first thing we’ll need, but then, we can work together to design a hinge that is functional and durable.

Are heavy-duty industrial hinges the only area Weber Knapp works in?

Are heavy-duty industrial hinges the only area Weber Knapp works in?

No way! We have experience in many industries, including outdoor and professional kitchen, ergonomics, medical, and hospitality.

What goes into the pricing for custom hinges?

What goes into the pricing for custom hinges?

The type of material, how many components are needed, and the size and weight specifications of the hinge all factor into how much it will cost. Every hinge is custom, so there is no blanket cost.

I have a fairly unconventional hinge application, but I still want to explore motion control. Can I still work with Weber Knapp?

I have a fairly unconventional hinge application, but I still want to explore motion control. Can I still work with Weber Knapp?

Of course! We thrive on the challenge of new and exciting applications. We can work together to design a hinge fit for your needs.

Industrial Resources to Explore

Vectis DYO App

Want to get right into the nitty-gritty? Use the Vectis DYO app to spec out your project details and get a sense of what kind of motion control applications you might need.

Blog

Looking to read more about motion control or counterbalancing? Check out our blog, where we write about everything from calculating torque to designing solutions for the medical industry.

Video

There’s no better way to gauge a product than to see it in action. Mike will show you how our motion control systems work!

Heavy-Duty Industrial Hinge Posts

5 Benefits of a Single-Source Custom Hinge Manufacturer

Industries over all the map -- hospitality furniture, outdoor and professional kitchen appliances, ergonomic office equipment, medical equipment, and more -- need motion control solutions. Sometimes, the path to their end result zigs and zags several times. Whether you’re looking to consolidate production of an existing product or improve the design of a new one, single-source manufacturing makes sense.

Heavy-Duty Lid Support: Mechanical Springs or Gas Springs?

Use of a heavy lid or cover can range from awkward to dangerous. Many designers add gas or mechanical springs for heavy-duty lid support - which is better? Picture holding an industrial toolbox lid in place while reaching in one-handed, maybe twisting your back in the process. Or what if it comes down suddenly when your arm or fingers are in the way? The bruises won't be pretty, and the damage might be much worse.

Hinge Design Guide for Extreme Temperatures

Much like IoT has invaded just about every household, commercial, and industrial device, more and more markets are making use of motion control and lift assist technology. Buyers in a growing number of industries not only appreciate, but also expect motion control to take their product to another level.

Have Ideas? No Time Like the Present!

Let’s hop right in. Have your dimensions handy!

Try Out the App

Have Questions? Our Hinge Design Engineers Have Answers!

Contact our talented engineers — they love a challenge and can give you insightful design ideas.