Hinges maintenance points and replacement suggestions

Hinges are commonly used to connect and support components in industrial equipment, playing an important role in doors, windows, mechanical equipment, and other fields. Regular maintenance measures can extend the hinges' service life and improve the safety and reliability of the overall equipment. Therefore, paying attention to the maintenance of hinges is an important link that every industrial equipment user cannot ignore. In daily use, how should we maintain the hinge to ensure its normal function, how can we troubleshoot the failure of the hinge and replace it in time? This article will provide a solution to this problem so that you can pay attention to the normal operation of the hinge in time.

Hinges’ maintenance methods

Cleaning and Dirt Removal

Regular cleaning: The hinge's application environment may accumulate dust, oil, or other impurities, which can affect its movement and performance. To remove dust and dirt from the hinge surface, especially the hinge connection, it is necessary to use a clean cloth or brush regularly.

Lubrication: After cleaning, apply a proper amount of lubricating oil or grease to reduce friction and wear. Lubrication should choose the appropriate grease according to the application environment, such as high-temperature lubricating oil, to ensure smooth operation of the hinges at different temperatures. Avoid using too much lubricant to avoid attracting dust.

Check and tighten the screws

Check the hinge fixing screws regularly to make sure they are not loose or damaged. Loose screws may cause the hinge to not work smoothly or even damage the device. If they are found to be loose, tighten the screws in time.

Check hinges' wear and function

Wear inspection: Check hinges regularly for visible wear or cracks, especially on the contact surfaces. Severely worn hinges may cause them to open and close awkwardly or fail to operate. Test hinges to see if they can rotate freely, and check for smooth movement, unusual noises, or sticking.

How to tell if hinges need replacement or just maintenance

1. Slowly open and close the door or window to see if the hinges move smoothly or are not stuck or resisting.

Maintenance: If the hinges are slightly stuck or not smooth, it may be due to insufficient lubrication or dust accumulation. Cleaning and lubricating can restore it to normal.

Replacement: If the hinges do not move smoothly, lubrication is ineffective, and excessive force cannot solve the problem. This may be due to wear or deformation of internal parts, in which case, replacement should be considered.

2. Observe the hinges’ surface for obvious corrosion, cracks, scratches, or rust.

Maintenance: If the surface is only slightly dirty or grease accumulated, it can be restored by cleaning and re-applying lubricant.

Replacement: If the hinges’ surface is severely rusted, cracked, or corroded and affects the structural strength of the hinges, the hinge should be replaced in time.

3. Watch for unusual rubbing, creaking, or metal scraping noises when opening and closing doors and windows.

Maintenance: If the noise is caused by dryness or lack of lubrication, regularly adding lubricating oil or grease can solve the problem.

Replacement: If the noise is not resolved after lubrication, it may be that the gears or parts inside the hinges are damaged and should be replaced.

4. Check if the hinges’ screws or fixings are loose. You can use tools to test the hinge's fixing status.

Maintenance: If the hinges’ screws are loose, you can restore the hinge's stability by tightening the screws.

Replacement: If the hinge's fixing parts (such as screw holes, hinge blades) are damaged or cannot be fixed, the hinge may need to be replaced.

In short: If the hinges’ surface is only dirty or slightly corroded, stuck, loose, unusually noisy, or has insufficient load-bearing capacity, it can be solved by cleaning, lubricating, and tightening.

If the hinges are severely corroded, cracked, deformed, worn, or completely lost their function and maintenance cannot restore them, consider replacing them.

The impact of not maintaining or replacing hinges

Preventing the normal operation of the device: Hindering the normal operation of the equipment: Hinges will become loose or stuck after long-term wear, making it difficult to open or close the door or cover, increasing the difficulty of operation; at the same time, they may not be able to properly support the weight of the door or cover, causing the equipment to fail.

Potential safety hazards to personnel and equipment: Hinge failure may cause doors, covers, or moving parts to fall off suddenly, endangering the safety of personnel; doors or covers cannot be completely closed, which will affect the sealing and safety of the equipment.

Noise and wear: Hinges that are not maintained in time may squeak or creak, affecting the comfort of the operating environment and may also be an early sign of wear or looseness. If they are not lubricated in time, wear will be accelerated, resulting in a shortened service life.

Increased maintenance costs: Failure to replace damaged hinges on time may cause frequent equipment failures, increase repair costs, and may even affect the entire component, causing damage to related equipment.

Conclusion

The regular maintenance of hinges may be ignored by most people in application. However, once there is a problem with them, it will affect the normal use of doors, windows, and mechanical equipment. According to the use environment of the hinge, regular cleaning, dust removal, lubrication, and tightening can extend the service life and reduce the frequency of replacement.

When choosing hinges for doors, windows, and equipment, you need high-quality parts. It is recommended that you browse the JLCMC website and choose hinges with high-cost performance.