Weber Knapp Blog

When it comes to high-end kitchen appliance design, great performance is as important on the outside as it is on the inside.

Most restaurant injuries don’t come from knives or open flames – they come from something as ordinary as a countertop. Lifting a heavy bar pass-through dozens of times during a shift strains backs, spills drinks, and leaves staff scrambling to recover.

A stiff neck, sore back, or aching wrists after a long day at your desk isn’t just annoying; it’s a warning sign. With more people working in front of screens than ever before, the health risks of poor workstation habits are on the rise. The key is applying OSHA ergonomic guidelines – simple adjustments that protect employees' bodies, keep them comfortable, and help them perform at their best.

Some lids close gently. Others seem to wait until your hand is nearby, then drop like a trap. 

Off-the-shelf solutions don’t always cut it – especially when your application requires safety or ergonomic motion and performance beyond a standard hinge. If you’re trying to support a heavy lid, conveyor drawbridge or enclosure cover, a custom hinge built with motion control in mind is the best fit.

A properly engineered counterbalance hinge can make an 80-pound lid feel like a light 2-pounds when lifting. It’s not magic though – it's precision mechanical engineering using counterbalance spring design principles.

Motion control system design affects how people interact with products in everyday settings. If motion feels smooth and natural, users barely notice it. If it feels heavy or awkward, the design becomes a frustration.

That moment of resistance – lifting a lid, moving a panel, opening a door – can shape someone’s entire experience with the equipment. Poor usability often signals deeper design issues that limit performance.

Engineers focused on motion control system design consider more than just movement. They think about safety, repeatability, and long-term function.

When done well, this kind of design supports a safer, more efficient environment without calling attention to itself.

It's not the flashiest part of your setup. It’s not what your customers will notice first. But when a lift gate stop fails, everyone notices.

Think about a gate slamming down in the middle of a busy lunch rush, sending a shock through the counter — and through your team. It’s a dangerous disruption that’s completely preventable.

The lift gate stop may be a small component, but its impact on safety, surface protection, and smooth operation is anything but minor. In busy commercial kitchens, sleek retail counters, and sensitive lab environments, this single piece of hardware helps prevent slamming, preserves finishes, and ensures your lift gate closes exactly as it should — every time.

Gone are the days when office furniture was simply about desks and chairs. 

Today, ergonomic furniture design plays a pivotal role in the health, happiness, and productivity of your workforce. If your current setup leaves employees hunched, strained, or uncomfortable, you’re likely paying for it — in lost productivity, increased sick days, and higher turnover. But how can you be sure your office equipment actually supports ergonomic principles?

In a busy bar or restaurant kitchen, your equipment works just as hard as your staff. The lift hinge is no exception. Skip the upkeep, and you're asking for downtime, injuries, or hardware failure.

Nothing derails productivity faster than uncomfortable office equipment. Most of us have experienced it firsthand: chairs that never quite feel right, desks at awkward heights, and keyboards that strain your wrists within minutes. Although these issues may look minor, they’re real ergonomic workplace hazards that can lead to chronic discomfort, reduced focus, and long-term employee dissatisfaction.

But solving ergonomic issues in the workplace takes more than Googling “ergonomic chair.” Office managers need to know how to spot bad ergonomic products and what makes a product truly ergonomic before investing.