Here at FDB Panel Fittings we are delighted that over many years we have accumulated a wide range of ex-stock stainless steel hinges to accommodate the many types of enclosure or cabinet that may be demanded of specialist builders for industrial purposes – in offices or on a workshop or warehouse floor. These range from weld on bullet hinges and simple lift off removable pin types to sophisticated parallelogram and friction torque designs. Once highly expensive to specify (even made to order) stainless steel hinges are now much more commonly used for their robust reliability and corrosion resistance, and are available ex-stock for urgent delivery.

In particular we have a stylish new DIRAK stainless steel hinge which offers increased protection against unauthorised access due to its specific design and construction. This especially robust 180° hinge, with interlocking leaves, features welded-in-place, non-removable hinge pins and welded mounting studs which are not accessible from the outside of the cabinet – so providing greater security when used in outdoor/public areas, e.g. for communications or public services.

Our increasing popular Online store has AISI 303, 304 & 316 components, allowing customers to make up full panel sets for harsh environments from hygiene rooms with frequent wash down to offshore or shoreline situations.

Stainless steel components of course suggest the most rugged use – and coupled with advanced design they ensure a choice of sealing protection to IP65, IP67 or IP69.

Also from the Online store are the PINET 90° opening stainless steel and steel hinges for concealed installation – with two options available, the 3520 with pins and links in 430 stainless and the 3625 in 316L stainless. The parallel link design offers tough corrosion-resistant functionality for nested or surface-mount doors – LH or RH in horizontal or vertical installation. These compact hinges are suitable for steel or wood/composite doors and enable easy opening in industrial or office/domestic cupboards, cabinets and enclosures.

Designed especially for use in hygiene defined areas these classically designed L and T handles in AISI 316L with or without cylinder key locking mechanism, are now available ex-stock from our Online store. They are designed for use in hygiene areas of food, pharmaceutical, medical, laboratory and related areas, where it is important to manage and minimise the accumulation of biological material – by design, by manufacturing quality and by pressure washdown. They are suited to stainless steel or plastic enclosures/cabinets for machine controls or power management and are vibration resistant for vehicle or machinery applications.

We can deliver these handles from the Online store, pre-assembled with cam upon request, so that the whole assembly may be installed in a standard 20.1mm cut-out as a pass-through operation, with securing back nut and serrated screw for electrical earthing also in stainless steel. Sealing is with red or blue FDA conforming silicone washers and “O” rings – locking is by means of SW13 style insert to ensure easy cleaning.

Where greater security is required for specialist enclosures or cabinets then an important first step is to increase the number of closure points – three-point closure is a common solution but in cases where this is not adequate then five or more points may be needed. The DIRAK crank system offered in RH or LH versions at our Online shop is a reliable option to suit larger doors or simply to enhance tighter closure.

Cranks can provide more closure on very long door edges or can be used to redirect rod systems around corners to provide closure along the top or bottom edges of a cabinet.

We are pleased to have this AISI 304/303 stainless steel 180° hinge in our range for adjacent cabinets with surface-mounted doors. Its lift-off style and 270° capability for single cabinets with M5 screw fitting make it an excellent choice for specialist panel builders.

It’s rugged design is suitable for 20mm door returns on all types of industrial enclosures where the strength and corrosion resistance of stainless steel is required.

Indexing plungers with spring-loaded handle also with rest position enables fixing of covers and flaps in defined positions. The spring-loaded handle is fixed by pulling and then turning 90°.
They avoid linear movement between two parts and are installed using a simple push into the preformed cutout in material thicknesses of 1 to 8mm.
Indexing plungers are available with various head heights of  2, 3 and 4 mm for different gap dimensions. They can also be used as a pin hinge eg for side panels.

Compact and convenient stainless steel wing knobs are now available ex-stock from our FDB Online store. These robust locks and latches to IP65 and IP66 are excellent for door security where space is limited or where a discrete closure is required.

The combination of AISI 316 stainless steel and IP65/66 sealing makes these high quality items applicable to a wide range of industrial applications where they are exposed to dirt and water, also for outdoor environments and situations where strength requirement is a major factor but space is limited.

Their simple quarter turn finger operation means they are appropriate for use on small doors e.g. wall mounted enclosures and boxes or instrument housings with thickness of up to 8mm. Sealing is achieved with NBR Perbunan for high performance and longevity.

Combination locks offer the convenience of digital security in a simple quarter turn format – we have them at our Online shop in chrome or black finishes sealing to IP65 and with the added feature of an external O ring for extra grip when opening.

They are great for use where carrying keys is not appropriate but the ease and cost-effectiveness of a quarter turn lock is required – they are easy to install and use.

The innovative D-SNAP tool-less fastening technology has been specially developed by DIRAK and is now available from our Online store. Joining components with SNAP technology are intended for specialist panel building installations to suit demanding industrial environments, in order to make the assembly/installation process simple. By eliminating the need for tools, DST products can be easily inserted into sheet metal panels and enclosures using pre-punched location holes to connect sheets securely together.

DST products are available ex-stock for urgent delivery across our range which includes fasteners for two metal sheets, single or double fasteners, fasteners that can be disassembled from the outside and/or the inside, and cage nuts to facilitate screw fixing of equipment to the enclosure frame.

DST joiners are complimented with a full choice of hinges, swinghandles, locks and handles using the same D-SNAP technology with the same hole configurations – enabling whole enclosures to be pre-fabricated and assembled on-site – and readily disassembled.

Our Online store is clearly a great central source for all kinds of panel hardware components from Delivering panel fittings from major manufacturers, ex-stock for specialist panel builders with helpful assembly and logistics support under the Rocfast brand – all from a knowledgeable and very experienced team here at FDB Panel Fittings so you know if you need the help of a real human being then it is readily available – see here.