This new DIRAK stainless steel L handle has been designed to suit deep door panels such as used in acoustic enclosures, refrigeration, HVAC applications, large plastic doors and other access panels in food and hygiene areas where its IP65 sealing is of advantage.

Explained Gary Miles, M.D. here at FDB Panel Fittings – “DIRAK has again done an excellent job with this stainless steel L handle in providing versatile padlock use with flexibility of fitment. In particular they have provided for use of their adjustable cam adapter which enables an exact fit to be achieved to compensate for gasket set and is especially necessary where doors are subject to ongoing vibration, so ensuring security of the installation.”

The L handle with cam adapter can be adjusted manually without tools and accepts standard cams of varying depth. Handle construction is in highly polished AISI 316 for easy cleaning with a high degree of resistance to corrosion, temperature and chemical action, e.g. cleaners.

Our new DIRAK sliding slam latch provides a low noise secure door closure mechanism for internal doors, cupboards etc. It is expected to be of value in specialist vehicles such as caravans, commercial vehicles, railway rolling stock and similar. Explains Gary Miles, our M.D. here at FDB Panel Fittings “In the event of the transportation of containers, for example for small animals or similar, in addition to vibration resistance and secure locking of doors and hatches, a stable closure is essential. For this reason DIRAK have developed their new sliding slam latch, which due to its sliding release prevents unintentional opening from the inside and furthermore is virtually noiseless during use.”

The new sliding latch is fitted with rubber plugs and a felt washer to cushion the latching components so making it extremely quiet while enabling easy operation. The housing incorporates a sliding bolt with integrated stop which allows independent locking by simple door closure – which can then only be opened by activation of the handle. Mounting is adjustable from the rear by means of integral slot nuts.

Locking variants are offered with cylinder barrel keyed alike 1333 or keyed different. Construction is in robust zinc die with finish in black.

Our Online store has a good range of compression latches for sealing of enclosures and panels in arduous situations, such as on vehicles and in wash-down areas where their superior performance is of benefit to ensure optimum sealing and resistance to the effects of vibration – protecting equipment and preventing nuisance opening they are available in zinc die and stainless steel and provide degrees of protection up to IP67.

Especially of value for use on vehicles are the paddle type lever action compression latches with push button release which can be operated entirely by hand and so are convenient for lockers and cupboards which require secure closure with quick opening.

We have tracked the growth in both availability and use of plastic type locks and seen a substantial benefit where extra strong glass reinforced plastic such as polyamide can frequently offer comparable performance to zinc die, and sometimes even stainless steel dependent on application – with great savings in cost.

These high strength engineering plastics are often indistinguishable from zinc die but often the precision of the injection moulding process permits the realisation of improved design both functionally and in terms of usability.

Quarter turn locks are the solid, reliable standard for specialist panel building and here at FDB Panel Fittings they form the backbone of our business in the shape of products from the most respected manufacturers from insert latches to swinghandles – all backed by our Rocfast assembly and logistics service.

Quarter turns come in various materials – zinc die, reinforced polyamide, stainless steel – and in many guises with a huge range of options in body lengths, cam lengths, insert types, lock numbers, IP protection levels and so on – something where our Knowledge Base documentation can offer guidance.

FDB Panel Fittings have added a sleek, robust non-locking L handle to their Online Store selection. The 1608 handle is ideal for simple low-security access or for use in combination with more complex closure systems.

Explained Gary Miles, M.D. at FDB Panel Fittings, “we have found that customers appreciate more and more the easy availability of items like the 1608 L handle on same-day despatch. It is astonishing where these products end up, from locker rooms to complex production and control systems all around the world – even on super yachts!”

The 1608 is a chrome finished zinc die unit with concealed fixing – it features an industry standard 8mm square spindle of 75mm length with 90° or 180° movement.

Here at FDB Panel Fittings – the name says it all – we specialise in panel fittings – otherwise referred to as enclosure hardware – hence the theme of “panel fittings for every enclosure” covering probably the UK’s largest range of locks, hinges, handles, cable management support systems, and accessories for virtually all industrial applications. Our extensive stock and Online store deliver top international brands such as DIRAK, EMKA, PINET, Weston Body Hardware, Gold and Wassal, Lowe and Fletcher, on urgent delivery backed with our Rocfast assembly and logistics package which ensures that you get the right components,  correctly assembled, ready to fit to your enclosure, in the pack type/size you want, at the location of your choice.

Under the banner of our Rocfast brand we are frequently able to achieve significant reductions in purchasing/admin time and effort with our well proven “Just in time” service for all those low value but critical components. This means just one order, one invoice, one payment and the components on the line when needed. Contact us to discuss your Rocfast needs.

Rod latches and multipoint rod locking systems are a convenient way to spread gasket pull down forces around the periphery of a large cabinet door to enhance sealing, while the multiple latching points provide better resistance to unauthorised opening. They can be coupled with a simple quarter turn latch or lock, or with any of a wide selection of swinghandles including robust vandal resistant types. We offer a wide range of round rods in steel and stainless steel with fixing eye or rollers ex-stock from our Online store and have flat rods available to order.

For guidance on multi-point locking, refer to our Knowledge Base article KB02.1

We have the new program 1000 EMKA toolless assembly quarter-turn latch which saves up to 80% of assembly time (and a lot of fiddling around), while offering protection against dust and water ingress up to IP69K. This polyamide/zinc die latch mechanism for enclosures or access panels offers a choice of 20 different inserts to suit the key type required, together with 3 depths of cranked cam and optional electrical safety cap.

We note that the 1000 series snap-in quarter-turn latch fits a standard EMKA cut-out in sheet thickness of 1.00mm to 3.00mm with a simple push fit assembly in a positive no-tools 2-step process which provides secure fixing and smooth operation on all types of specialist enclosures.