Together with our sales partners at Weston Body Hardware we have a great offering of externally mounting lift-off hinges in traditional style black diecast with stud fixing for improved security and aesthetic along with a torpedo/bullet style in chrome.

External lift-off operation enables easy removal of doors for access to internal equipment during installation or maintenance. They provide a robust door mounting with an industrial aesthetic that suits heavy doors and multi-compartment cabinets with lay-on doors, which is ideal for industrial/commercial/office/retail enclosures for machine tool equipment – also factory controls, distribution panels, HVAC access, safety guards, IT/Telco cabinets, processing equipment and similar.

This popular range of hinges are now available ex-stock for urgent delivery from the FDB Online store. Mounting is by means of cast-in mounting studs which are simply inserted through pre-punched holes and secured with internal nuts. Installation can be arranged with both hinges oriented in the same direction for lift-off or with one up and one down to lock the door in place so it is not removable. Extra-large or heavy doors may be accommodated with three or four hinge units to provide additional capacity.

Other diecast hinges are offered in the associated range where butt hinges and pedestal hinges suit flush doors and internal hinges provide a fully concealed installation with separate screw fixing. Diecast hinges can be supplied in black or natural self-colour for overpainting to match the panel appearance. Internally mounted hinges do not lift off and are fixed with separate screws.

The associated torpedo style hinges (sometimes bullet or corner hinges) also feature a lift-off design. Manufactured in chrome finished zinc die, these rugged hinges are a great option for enclosures and cabinets where a practical yet attractive hinge is required.

These unusual hinges have a traditional style to suit an older design ethic, while providing a rugged hinge function with smooth appearance and simple installation. They present a quality hinge for a quality installation, and are also available ex-stock from our specialists Online store.

These popular ‘torpedo’ hinges are widely used for electrical cabinets and enclosures, allowing doors to be quickly mounted or removed from frames. The chromium-plated finish and 10 mm stainless steel pin give good resistance to normal environmental conditions. Left-hand and right-hand variants are stocked for online purchase and are available.

Doors can be arranged to lift-off when the fixed pin is located in the bottom half of both hinges, in which condition performance Rig-tests have shown that two hinges (on a 1-metre frame) carried a load of 60kg (130lb) without damage. Equivalent to a moment of force of 60NM (3.43KN). When a door is required to be permanently fixed, then the hinges should be installed with LH and RH together (opposed). Individual hinge installation is by simple plant-on positioning secured through countersunk holes in each hinge leaf. Availability is standard with bright chromium-plated finish (or raw for painting).

Well probably not Ghost Busters – but it would be worth a call to FDB Panel Fittings where we have expertise and stock to support you in your specialist enclosure and cabinet building.

So for gaskets, handles, locks, hinges, swinghandles and lots of other hardware see our Online store and for production quantities or lock assembly and kitting then contact us here.

We are pleased to offer ex-stock grab handles for industrial applications – enclosures, doors, drawers, access panels, carry cases, instrumentation, with good hand clearance and ergonomic design from Weston Body Hardware. Handles of this type are often the last component to be fitted and can be needed as a matter of urgency at the last minute to avoid delays in production or delivery – the FDB Panel Fittings Online store specialize in serving this need with rapid service on demand.

Bridge handles – also known as bow, grab, lift and “D” handles are a common component in industries such as mechanical engineering, sheet metal fabrication, HVAC, medical devices, food processing, rail transport and tunnelling, data centres and utilities. They are ideal for manual interactions offering a comfortable interface at the point of operator contact.

The 150mm ref 7/28745 handle is offered in zinc diecast material, polished and chrome plated for enhanced aesthetic appearance and endurance. On the other hand, the 190mm and 280mm moulded grab handles with steel core have black textured finish and countersunk fixings.

The FDB Online portfolio also encompasses large-scale tubular lift handles and small-scale finger pulls. Other D style bridge handles are available with front or rear fixings as required to meet aesthetic and security concerns.

It is a simple question and generally one that flies under the radar for engineers busy working on electrical/electronic systems – so we have tried to make life easy for our customers by collecting together a range of basic hardware that suits many – even most industrial enclosure and cabinet needs.

To that end we have ensured that our Online store carries hinges that bolt on and lift off for use outside the enclosure or inside, along with sealing gasket in self adhesive strips or clip on extrusions, plus latches and locks in quarter turn format with spanner lock inserts or with locking mechanisms.

Sometimes required are handles in differing designs – L or T or bridge or swinghandle. We aim to stock and deliver urgently so we can save customers time on assembly or installation.

We often get asked for handles so it is important to understand the what, where and why of the application. Generally they are needed for an enclosure or cabinet of some kind – wall or floor mounting – otherwise a varient like a desk or a machine housing, maybe an access panel on a specialist vehicle, or a drawer on an office desk.

So we have swing handles with locks and rod systems, also conventional L and T handles but often all that is required is a simple bridge or bow handle – perhaps to open against a magnetic catch or to lift an instrument or panel lid.

The variety is huge – so click here to see our online selection which we stock for urgent delivery.

Sealing of enclosures or cabinet doors is made simple with the EMKA range of clip-fit sections from our Online store. These specialist profiles in EPDM offer a quickly installed solution to maintaining good IP protection for panel builders, equipment manufacturers and vehicle constructors.

Suitable for door sealing and other industrial panels, suits industrial enclosures of up to IP55 with single or multiple closures and compliment the 1000-U237 wing knob in black powder coated zinc die and keyed EK 333. The knob mounts inside the seal with door thickness of between 1.5mm and 8mm and offers single, dual or three-point closure depending on cam and rods fitted.

Gaskets offer up to 6mm compression with a clip-on hollow section to enable inexpensive and effective protection from dust and water to be achieved, with the simple expedient of pushing the section onto the frame profile or inner door edge. Construction is of EPDM bonded onto a spring steel spine.

The clamping edge accommodated by these gaskets is circa 3.5mm, and ref 1011-06 meets UL 50 and UL94-HB. These sections are listed at the FDB Online store in 50m coils for ex-stock same-day despatch.

Other sections are available and designed to be retained within channels or for self-adhesion to painted surfaces, while edge protectors and window profiles with expanding filter sections enable simple edge covering and window installations for the inspection of machine settings and processes.

Where electromagnetic compatibility is necessary, variants are available to combine EMC with dust and water sealing.

Power protection panels from the team here at FDB Electrical are well known for their effectiveness and reliability – less so perhaps the availability of the specialist components we offer. Our MD Gary Miles explains that these components enable electrical engineers to install their own power protection and/or earth monitoring circuits in housings of their choice to suit applications from domestic through industrial/office to MOD ready.

He points out that “as part of our commitment to electrical protection technologies the component range includes an online, ex-stock program of panel mounting components including RCDs, Earth Continuity Monitors and special-purpose electrical protection devices.”

These comply with BS4293 and come in both AC and DC types. Components offer Multi-range protection levels including pre-set and user-adjustable types. Their Solid-state circuitry provides immunity to voltage transients and DC components and associated core balance transformers are available in a range of sizes, and a Panel meter is available (EFU10/M).

Protective devices available include fully adjustable multi-function RCD’s, variable earth leakage relays, percentage earth fault relays together with a range of external toroidal CT’s up to 240mm diameter. Where a customer does not wish to produce the housed system themselves then we can offer custom built panels and bespoke solutions designed and manufactured in-house to suit virtually any industrial application – we are proud to supply the UK Defence forces and support industries with this specialist protection equipment.

Sometimes we do not need the full sealing function of a gasket, but it may be important to protect an operator’s hands from the cut edge of a metal panel or simply to offer a buffer with a degree of protection from the elements, to preserve appearance or prevent the painted panel and frame from wearing and damaging each other. In these cases, an edge protection section is frequently desirable and a long-term effective solution.

As explained by Gary Miles, our MD the Rocfast Assembly and Logistics service is an important service tool in the armoury of specialist panel builders – for hardware required to suit enclosures and cabinets. Knowing which components can work together and how to assemble them can be a significant stumbling block in correctly specifying and equipping a custom panel.

With much experience in this area, the team here at FDB Panel Fittings are capable of guiding design engineers and supply chain managers, through the complex choices of components and then arranging delivery of the items required in batches to suit production numbers and to the location of choice – whether workshop or installation site. Thus, saving time and money while ensuring enhanced customer service to the end user.

The system allows specifying engineers to call the Rocfast team and discuss the project hardware needs e.g. type and size of quarter turn lock or latch coupled and sealing requirement, with hinge type and gasket section. – body length, insert, sealing gasket, tab length and offset, tab closure options, earthing washer, key type etc. thus saving a great deal of shop floor time. We also offer data sheets to help engineers through this process on their own.

Once the specification is concluded the logistics side of Rocfast can manage supply batches and production kits in alignment with manufacturing and/or installation requirements to workshop or on-site on a global basis if needed.

For more information on how Rocfast can streamline your lock assembly needs, visit www.fdb.co.uk/rocfast/ or contact FDB Panel Fittings today