Meet the Olympia hinge from Sugatsune, the most evolved concealed hinge available today. It looks familiar because it uses a tried and tested format but it brings a new level of sophistication that adds value to your customers and aids in the manufacturing and installation process.
The most obvious new feature is the integral adjustable hydraulic damper. Not just any damper either but a Lapcon rotary hydraulic damper, the best in the business and so small it does not compromise the hinge in any way.
The problem with a standard damped hinge is that they have a fixed level of damping, fine if you have a fixed size of door but what happens if you have different sizes and weights? Well, the doors all close at different speeds which doesn't feel right in use. Some flexibility can be introduced by using a damped hinge and an un-damped hinge in the same door but this is only ever going to be a fudge.
By contrast the Olympia hinge has an adjustable damper with five levels of damping. When used in pairs the damping gives up to 18 speeds, more than is required to balance doors of different sizes.
Another point of difference is the mode of installation. Sugatsune has made the hinge so that it can be installed by snapping on from the top instead of the front edge first approach of similar hinges. This is quite a big deal if you have more than two hinges on a door. It's just a question of lining up the hinges and pushing from the top. Easy.
It is three way adjustable of course but Sugatsune has rationalised this aspect of the design too. Horizontal, vertical and depth adjustments are all made from the top using a standard cross-head screwdriver which makes the job far easier.
If you know anything about Sugatsune you'll know that they are obsessive about quality control and reliability and won't be surprised to hear that the Olympia hinge has passed a 200,000 cycle test, five times as many as required by Japanese regulations. If your customer opened the cupboard ten times a day that gives a reliable service life of over fifty years, a long time in the life of a kitchen and quite amazing for a damper.
The Olympia hinge represents a major evolution of the concealed hinge. Variable damping, easy installation and adjustment with supreme reliability all in the familiar format with a 35mm cutout. This is something that Sugatsune are proud of, if you'd like to hear our customer services wax lyrical about the hinge, give them a ring and see how it will enhance your latest project.
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