Dental Office Workstation Bin

Market: Medical/Dental
Customer: Ergonomic Products

Their Challenge:
Ergonomic Products, a specialty manufacturer of high-performance equipment for the dental industry, was presented with a new challenge resulting from a design change to a dental office workstation bin. The product now required a different type of hinge to hold the lid, since it could no longer travel past vertical. Previously, a free-swinging hinge was used on this application, and the design change of the workstation no longer allowed the lid to swing up enough to stay open.

Our Solution:
The solution was a standard friction hinge product from our SB-188 hinge series, selected in collaboration with Ergonomic Products. Since these workstations tend to get a bit wet while in service, the hinges were produced with a nickel plating, giving them excellent corrosion protection. After our initial technical consultation, samples that met their requirements for fit, feel, and function were provided to test on the lids. Success! The friction hinge allowed the lid to stay open at any desired angle based on the various installations of the bin.

Application engineering support from TorqMaster allowed Ergonomic Products to select a standard friction hinge, rather than developing a custom design. This helped resolve the customer’s challenge quickly, at reduced cost. The hinge has been used successfully for 3 years.