Motion Control Engineering & Manufacturing Resources

Complex hinge design is a staple of many high-end, high-performing products. The math required to make your lid, cover, or door work as advertised can be wildly different depending on your application.

From chronic back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome, we've all seen how much damage bad ergonomics can do. Bad ergonomics, in short, are bad for business.

User experience is essential to positive customer interaction, and mechanical motion control is essential to UX in many settings. From the hotel room to the manufacturing floor, motion control systems have fundamental impacts on how customers perceive a purchase or experience. 

If your business is in any industry where customers regularly interact with moving parts, here are three near-universal tips for good mechanical motion control design.

We’ve all heard of the nightmare situations that improper ergonomics and training can bring to the workplace -- whether it’s chronic pain for your workers, short staffing, or even costly workers comp claims, bad ergonomics can be a big hindrance to any business, regardless of industry. 

When most people hear “ergonomics,” they think of office workers in cubicles. But ergonomics – designing or modifying the working environment for the worker’s health and comfort – is crucial to the construction industry, too. 

The most durable and versatile products can turn out to be intimidating to the user if the wrong type of heavy-duty hinges are used. Ask anyone that lifts heavy lids all day -- spring-assisted hinges are necessary for the safety and efficiency of your entire staff.

Customer expectations can certainly change in a 112-year span.

There are many ways to make something go from point A to point B. Not all of them are great long-term solutions.

Heavy-duty hinges are all about doing a job smoothly and repeatedly without compromising the quality of the overall product. Particularly in medical and scientific applications, hinges are critically essential to the continued functionality of often-expensive equipment. 

As a result, there are many hinge design guidelines specific to these industries that can make or (literally) break your project's success. Below, we'll discuss five considerations for heavy-duty hinges, and the guidelines that ensure they function perfectly.