Cushioned hinges and damping lubricants
In more and more items of furniture in the home, whenever we close a drawer or a door, they travel along 90% of their stroke at the speed we set, only to slow down and close in an apparently "mechanical" way. These cushioned hinges and their controlled coefficient of friction are also thanks to special damping lubricants.
The benefit of this "soft closing" is due to amortised hinges that operate automatically, regardless of the force we exert in the component or the weight of the component itself. We can define this instrument as a speed limiter, which does not care about the angle or how much force we use but maintains a speed regardless of the external conditions.
There is no engineering secret or miracle: to modulate the closing of amortised hinges, simply interpose the correct damping lubricant between the sliding surfaces. Let's look at what that means exactly.
Cushioned hinges and damping brake lubricant
A damping braking lubricant can be defined as a compound with a high coefficient of friction, whose function is to make the friction surfaces "float", interposing a continuous plastic and load-bearing film between them, with strong adhesiveness and persistence.
In order for the amortised hinges to work perfectly, a damping braking lubricant must maintain its lubricating and anti-wear functions typical of any lubricant. In addition, it must exert an "active friction" capable of modulating the sliding speed and allowing a sweet closing.
This solution is increasingly used in more and more sectors, from the automotive to filmography, passing through to mosquito nets, furniture and household appliances, not only for aesthetic reasons but above all, to satisfy needs related to safety in everyday use, especially in environments or situations in which there is a presence of children.
The advantages of the correct dumping lubricant for cushioned hinges
Regardless of the application context and the final destination of the product – be it a dishwasher door, a bedside drawer or a glove compartment in your car – a damping braking lubricant acts very much like a traditional lubricant due to its properties.
It too must reduce mechanical wear and protect the components from corrosion. It too must reduce the noise of the device, it too must control friction as much as possible and ensure the operating clearance of the components.
All this is to measured and perfectly adjusted according to your needs. Indeed, one of the main advantages of a damping braking lubricant for cushioned hinges is the possibility of defining the desired friction effect with a good approximation, formulating tailor-made solutions.
Simply turn to professionals in the trade, able to meet your every request in studying which basic solutions are best suited to your machinery.
