Products / Glossary
The words buyers and factories use, in plain language — written by people who make hinges rather than by a copywriter. If a term you need is missing, ask us and we will add it.
The standard grade for exterior and wet-area hinges: 18% chromium, 8% nickel, non-magnetic when annealed. The grade we quote most often, and the one we buy in strip form with a mill certificate.
A lower-cost austenitic grade that uses manganese in place of some nickel. Widely used for indoor hinges; less corrosion resistance than 304. We quote it when the application is dry and the budget is tight.
Low-carbon cold-rolled sheet used where stainless is not required, usually painted or plated. Cheaper per kilo, and the finish carries the appearance.
A hinge made from brass rather than plated steel. The colour is the metal itself, so wear does not open up a different base material underneath.
Japanese tool steel we use for our dies, not for hinges. Quenched and tempered to roughly 60–62 HRC, with about twice the toughness of SKD11, so die corners do not chip.
The raw stainless or steel coil the press feeds from. Our strip comes from a steel supplier in Foshan, with a mill certificate and a lot number on every delivery.
The steel supplier's document stating grade and heat number. We keep it, so a finished batch can be traced back to the coil it was made from.
Gold plating over the base metal. The GP code you will see on our finishes sheet and on quotations.
An electro-deposited paint, usually black. It reaches the inside of corners that spray painting misses, which is why it is the usual choice for auto-closing spring hinges.
A brushed, low-gloss chrome finish. Reads as neutral grey-silver and hides fingerprints better than polished chrome.
The bare stainless surface, brushed to a consistent grain direction. No coating to chip.
Darkened, patinated finishes that imitate aged metal. Most often asked for on restoration and hospitality work.
A clear coat over a polished finish to slow tarnishing. Common on brass, and worth specifying for coastal projects.
An accelerated corrosion test in a salt fog chamber. The number of hours a part survives is the usual way buyers compare finishes, so tell us the hours you need and we will send the test report for that finish.
Removing free iron from a stainless surface so the chromium oxide layer can form again. It is what stops a freshly machined hinge from spotting.
Two rectangular leaves joined by a barrel, screwed flat to the frame and the door. The default flat-opening door hinge.
A hinge whose leaf is shaped like a flag, usually because the door has to swing clear of a rebate or lift off.
Two flat leaves with the barrel sitting between them. The plates spread the load over their whole length, which is why it is used on heavier leaves.
A hinge with cut-away leaves that overlap around the barrel, so the two plates sit closer together when closed.
A hinge containing a spring that closes the door behind you. Tension is adjustable on most models.
A spring hinge sized to the weight of the door leaf, for entrance, corridor and stairwell doors that must not be left open.
A hinge with a hydraulic damper in the barrel, so the door closes quietly instead of slamming. Damping is not adjustable on the standard models.
A hinge fully hidden when the door is closed, adjustable in three directions after installation. Used where the door face must stay clean.
A concealed cup-bored hinge for cabinet doors, with adjustment for door overlay and depth.
The runner that carries a drawer: ball-bearing or roller, with or without soft-close.
A hinge where one leaf lifts off the pin, so the door can be removed without tools.
A hinge with security pins on the closing edge, fitted so the door cannot be levered out of the frame.
The press tool that forms a hinge. We cut ours in our own mould department rather than buying them in.
A die with several stations that cuts, bends and forms the part in one pass of the press. Faster, and it holds tolerance better than hand-fed tooling.
Wire electrical discharge machining. It cuts hardened die steel to micron accuracy, and it is what decides whether the upper and lower halves of a die meet properly.
Spark erosion with a shaped electrode, for cavities and corners a wire cannot reach.
Milling the die block to the cavity shape before the finishing cuts.
Forming the hinge out of strip in the press, then cutting it free.
Removing the sharp burr that punching leaves behind, so the edge is safe to handle and the finish covers evenly.
The cone machined around a screw hole so a countersunk screw sits flush with the leaf.
Quenching and tempering the die steel. We send it out and check the hardness when it comes back.
The first hinge off a new die, sent to you for approval before anything goes into mass production.
A 100% check before packing. Nothing is packed until it passes, and the inspection data stays on file.
Minimum order quantity. Ours starts at 20,000 pcs per item.
The time from order confirmation to the goods being ready to ship. Ours runs 30–35 days.
OEM is made to your drawing, finish and packing under your brand. ODM is where we develop the item with you.
The document that proves where goods were made. Under ASEAN rules it is what decides the tariff rate you pay on arrival.
The three trade terms we quote on. EXW — you collect the goods at our factory. FCA — we clear them for export and hand them to the carrier you nominate. FOB — we load them on board at the port of loading. Freight and insurance stay on your side in all three. See how to order for the full comparison.
An independent inspector checking the goods before shipment, at your request. We book the slot and make the samples available.
Send your drawing or requirement — we reply within 24 hours.
