Specialist door hinge fastening challenge met with ALtracs® Plus

EJOT UK has provided a fastening solution for the efficient and secure assembly of specialist door hinges, which are designed for use in healthcare facilities providing care for vulnerable patients with mental health conditions.

The company was tasked by Intastop, a specialist supplier of anti-ligature products and door and wall protection systems, to provide a fixing solution for a new version of its market-leading Shrouded Double Swing Continuous Hinge. When integrated with Intastop’s Removable Doorstop, this offers a unique anti-barricade package providing quick opening in emergency situations, with a variety of finishes available, including anodised aluminium and wood effect.

 

Enhancing Safety & Fire Protection

Having proved itself in the market for a number of years, a new generation of the hinge was being developed to further increase the level of protection offered. As part of this enhancement, version 3 of the hinge was designed to incorporate twin smoke seals to offer a solution for door sets requiring a 30-minute FD30s rating in accordance with BS EN 1634-1 and BS 476.

The hinge extends along the full height of the door, operating by a number of interlocking gears that provide a high strength and smooth motion with a 90-degree opening in either direction or 180-degrees in one direction. Given the dangers that door hinges and hardware can present to patients in mental health care facilities, this type of hinge plays a crucial role in delivering a safe environment due to a number of features incorporated into the design. 

Firstly, the hinge design significantly reduces the available ligature points on the doorset. This means the potential for patient self-harm or suicide is decreased because the hinge is designed to reduce the potential for attachment points (ligature points) to which ropes, cords or clothing could potentially be attached. In addition, the hinge allows the door to be opened inwards or outwards, meaning that access to a patient room will still be possible should a patient collapse inside the room next to the door, or if they have created a barricade which would block entry to the room.

The shrouds are also incorporated to reduce the risk of finger trapping, in line with UK and European Standards. Security Torx screws are used to reduce the possibility of tampering with screws that attach the hinge to the frame and door. The Intastop team developed the outer shroud to protect the patient from self-harm on the hinge, and it was here that EJOT UK was tasked with providing a fixing solution.

 

Overcoming Assembly Challenges

As the aluminium shrouds are extruded, and the fixings were on the same plane as the cross-section of the shroud, the fixings had to thread between two parallel faces. In Intastop’s prototypes, an off-the-shelf M3 bolt proved an obvious choice for the 14 connections required, with its theoretical suitability without question. 

However, it quickly became apparent in testing that achieving a good quality attachment was not always easy on a practical level, and the risk of thread stripping when using the standard machine screw was far too high. The design team were all too aware that any difficulties in achieving a good quality, secure attachment for the shroud would quickly cause an uplift in scrap and labour costs during assembly, along with a product more prone to failure on site. 

James Clark, Engineering Manager at Intastop, commented: “We are proud to collaborate with skilled experts and partners to deliver solutions that address the current challenges effectively, which is why we have never looked back since engaging with EJOT UK. It was important to ensure that the fastening method for the shrouds was not only effective but achievable with ease, and the ALtracs Plus ticked both these boxes. 

“The feedback we received from the production team members who produce the hinge was overwhelmingly positive. This bespoke fixing has had zero on-site failures, which is critical when creating door sets that are designed to keep vulnerable people safe.”

 

The ALtracs Plus Solution

Designed specifically for direct thread-forming assembly into cast holes, EJOT ALtracs® Plus fasteners deliver maximum high-strength values in light alloy assemblies and other non-ferrous metals such as zinc, copper or brass. Its design facilitates a high clamp load and relaxation process that creates long-term strength, even under high dynamic and thermal stress. Its lower installation and higher stripping torque mean that reliable assembly can easily be achieved with common pneumatic and electric screwdrivers.