Outdoor & Professional Kitchen | Countertop, Appliance, & Grill Hinges
Summer hits, the lawn is mowed, the pool is shining, and your customers are itching to get out and grill. Or maybe the snow’s coming down, and all they want to do is bake a fresh tray of cookies.
Whether your customers are gearing up for a barbecue or mixing up some dough, the kitchen — whether indoors or outdoors — is undoubtedly their central hub.
Now, what if you could make their personal and professional kitchen experiences better?
Weber Knapp’s proprietary Vectis software and seasoned engineering team combine to create premium motion control mechanisms for luxury, professional kitchen appliances and outdoor cooking appliances.
We design and manufacture custom motion control solutions, including:
- Smoker & grill lid support hinges
- Food prep table hinges
- Commercial kitchen appliance hinges
- Flip-up bar top hinges
- Pass through countertop hinges
No matter the appliance, if it’s got a hinge, we can build a counterbalance for it. Check out below how Weber Knapp has brought innovation to the outdoor and professional kitchen markets.
Making the Most of Motion Control for Your Customers
Weber Knapp has developed counterbalance and motion control hinges for everything from countertop pass-throughs to drum smokers. Our hinges can be designed to withstand extreme heat — as in grills and BBQ smokers — and extreme cold — as in refrigerators and freezers.
A few of the many benefits of motion control hinges include:
- Lighter, more controlled door/lid movement
- Safer for both customers and the equipment
- More ergonomic — even Grandma can lift it
- Exemplary design for a luxurious feel
Depending on your needs, our hinges can be designed as soft-close or lid stays, and our baseline counterbalance hinges have been tested to 100,000 cycles and beyond when required.
Take a look at some of our recent endeavors into the outdoor and professional kitchen world!
Case Study: Hestan Grill Hinges
Hestan Commercial, of Anaheim, California, was developing a line of professional-grade grills for residential customers. They wanted to make a grill that had all the high-end luxuries, but also was super-functional and easy to operate. Weber Knapp was able to develop a counterbalance solution that fit the specifications of their grill while also retaining its sophisticated look.
Case Study: Concealed Hinges for the Hidden Fridge
Sub-Zero, a pioneer of stylish and functional kitchen appliances, developed a full refrigerator and freezer system to be inset alongside kitchen cabinetry. The company couldn’t use bulky hinges or anything less than the best — the door weighed 143 lbs.! Sub-Zero approached Weber Knapp to talk about a hidden hinge design, and Weber Knapp was able to deliver…
Anything Is Possible: Designing Your Dream Project
At Weber Knapp, we conduct our design and manufacturing processes in-house, which makes your project experience seamless. As soon as we get off the phone with you, we head right to the drawing board. From there, we start up our machines and start prototyping your component.
Along with complex hinge design, we have the equipment and the technicians for
- CNC turning, laser cutting, and routing
- Hydraulic press braking
- Progressive stamping
- Powder coating
- Electroplating
And we can put these capabilities to work for not just motion control or counterbalance hinges. Need a highly detailed logo cut from sheet metal? We can do it. Need handles for a grill turned on a lathe? We can do it.
To learn more about what Weber Knapp is capable of, feel free to contact us!
Using Vectis Technology for a Drum Smoker Hinge
Here at Weber Knapp, we like to have some fun, specifically when it comes to outdoor cooking appliances.
We put our custom motion control technology to good use and crafted a drum smoker lid hinge. This lid stay hinge allows the user to keep their hands free as they check on their slow-cooked meal. And, we’ve even made a latch handle to seal the lid of the drum for maximum smoking efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions from Our Design Firm Partners
Our goal is to ensure your project runs as smoothly as possible. We accomplish this through transparency, and partnership. To help us get off on the right foot, here are some answers to questions that may be on your mind:
What do I need to order a hinge for a grill lid or a kitchen appliance?
What do I need to order a hinge for a grill lid or a kitchen appliance?
Are outdoor and kitchen industries the only things Weber Knapp works in?
Are outdoor and kitchen industries the only things Weber Knapp works in?
What is the pricing for custom hinges?
What is the pricing for custom hinges?
My kitchen product is very specific and unconventional; can I still work with Weber Knapp?
My kitchen product is very specific and unconventional; can I still work with Weber Knapp?
Hospitality Resources to Explore
Vectis DYO App
Want to get right into the nitty-gritty? Use the Vectis DYO app to spec out your project details and get a sense of what kind of motion control applications you might need.
Blog
Looking to read more about motion control or counterbalancing? Check out our blog, where we write about everything from calculating torque to designing solutions for the medical industry.
Videos
There is no better way to gauge a product than to see it in action. Mike will show you how our motion control systems work!
Outdoor & Professional Kitchen Posts
6 Grill & BBQ Smoker Design Ideas to Get Your Customer to Go High-End
Today’s outdoor and backyard living enthusiasts treat grilling almost like a religion. They’re not afraid to drop down four-figure amounts on your latest grill or BBQ smoker design idea -- if you can convince them it’s worth the price.
Hidden Door Hinge Design: 5 Aesthetic & Functional Considerations
If you’re designing a product with a hinge, there’s a decent chance you want it hidden away from the world. While there are plenty of products that have exposed hinges, most consumer products are designed to be visually appealing. (Sadly, a hinge is not in most people’s eyes.) There are other valuable uses for hidden hinges that we’ll cover below.
How a Kitchen Appliance Door Hinge Opens Your Design Possibilities
When it comes to high-end kitchen appliance design, great performance is as important on the outside as it is on the inside.
Serious designers of both commercial and residential appliances want features that “feel” luxurious. Many of today’s top-end appliances include counterbalancing, soft-close motion control, and other features for the ultimate in safety and convenience.
Have an Idea? Let’s Get Started!
Want to get right into it? Hope you have your dimensions handy.
Questions? Talk to Our Hinge Design Engineers!
Feel free to drop our Engineers a line; they’re always happy to talk you through a design or assess potential safety concerns.
