Heavy Duty Door Hinges
The term "Heavy Duty" is no longer subjective, there are EN standards which define the use and durability of each product.
EN STANDARDS
A suite of European product performance standards (ENs) has been developed for most building components, these include a comprehensive range of product performance standards for architectural hardware.
Products are ‘marked’ with a six or more digit (8 for hinges) classification coding which shows, in detail, just what levels of product performance are being claimed for the item. This classification system enables complementary items to also be specified to, for instance, a common level of corrosion resistance, category of use, door mass, etc. as shown below.
EN classification code
Th important numbers defining the durability of the hinge are the first and second digits. These are as follows:
Digit 1 – Category of use
Grade 1: medium frequency of use by people with a high incentive to exercise care and with a small chance of accidents occurring or of misuse
Grade 2: medium frequency of use by people with some incentive to exercise care but where there is some chance of accidents occurring or of misuse
Grade 3: high frequency of use by public and others with little incentive to exercise care and with a high chance of accidents occurring or of misuse
Grade 4: for use on doors which are subject to frequent violent usage
Digit 2 – Durability/number of test cycles
Grade 1: 2,500 cycles
Grade 2: 5,000 cycles
Grade 3: 10,000 cycles
Grade 4: 25,000 cycles
Grade 5: 50,000 cycles
Grade 6: 100,000 cycles
Grade 7: 200,000 cycles
Grade 8: 500,000 cycles
Grade 9: 1,000,000 cycles
Marking
To order to comply with the EN standard each product and/or its packaging are required to be marked with:
The manufacturer’s name or trademark or other means of identification.
Product identification number.
The six or more digit classification number as above.
The BS EN standard number e.g. BS EN 1935 for hinges
The year and week of manufacture (this may be coded).
CE Marking
To be marked with the European Commission's CE mark, a product will hold all the required certification including classification code of product, type-testing to EN number, manufacturer's mark, year of manufacture, EC certificate of conformity etc. which will be verified by the notified certification body.