Client: Various Garage Door OEMs
Date: 2013
 

Challenge: Garage door hinges must be lubricated periodically. If not, squeaks, noise and corrosion result and complaints arise. This is particularly problematic for garage doors in coastal applications where the salt air can quickly cause corrosion even with zinc coated and galvanized steel hinges. Garage Door OEMs, reacting to home owner and dealer complaints, were constantly searching for a cost effective solution to offer to their customers.

Solution: Steel and the stamping process will produce the least expensive garage door hinge and is the preferred manufacturing process for many obvious reasons. Though not a preferred method of manufacturing due to the cost of material, tooling, operation and long development time; Guardian used its knowledge and injection molding capabilities to address their customer’s dilemma. Injection molding allows for full process automation, high production output, low waste and minimal post production finishing while holding close tolerances. A glass-filled nylon was chosen for its high impact strength, thermal stability, good sliding friction and damping properties as well as processing ease for a quiet, corrosion free, reliable product for added value applications.