Weber Knapp Blog

You’ve decided to install a flip-up countertop with a Lift Gate Assistant hinge – congratulations!

“Hold on, let me come around the counter to help you.”

Today “motion control” implies automation, robotics, and electronics. But you’d be amazed at what you can achieve when you combine old-fashioned mechanical engineering with a creativity-minded manufacturer.

So your next design – be it a dishwasher, smoker, tanning bed, refrigerator, or another piece of equipment – needs the support and reliability of heavy duty industrial hinges. You’re working on your hinge design calculations and material specs, and things are getting complicated.

A custom hinge manufacturer should not just be a simple assembly line -- it should be a full-fledged partner to your entire process.

Workers deal with a lot of equipment and applications that can cause trauma to their hands. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 102,350 total hand injuries occurred in 2020. 

From the retractable keyboard tray you use at work, to the industrial refrigerator door in the restaurant kitchen and the bar pass-through at the diner where you got breakfast today, hinges are a part of everyday life. They also factor into the various tasks at work and the product design of new must-haves for today’s society. 

Choosing the right motion control solution can involve some tricky elements. When it’s time to understand the type of counterbalance or spring-assist hinge you need and the best way to move forward with the installation, it helps to have a visual guide as a resource. The Vectis pages provide both written content and videos that do everything from explaining how a Vectis hinge can be a better choice than a gas hinge to how to install and adjust the hinge solution you choose. 

As a kid, you might have marveled at the flip-up bar countertop at your parents’ favorite restaurant. But a lot has changed since then, and bar lift gates have improved significantly. 

Lift assists for bar and countertop openings are essential features in modern taverns, kitchens, and restaurants. Beyond just looking cool, they have many functional purposes.