The majority of people picture metal door hinges when they think of hinges. The classic design of door hinges has two leaves and an incorporated knuckle. They are frequently made of metal, such as bronze, brass, copper, or stainless steel. But there are other kinds of hinges too, like live and plastic ones.
What Are Plastic Hinges?
Plastic hinges are mechanical bearings that are made of plastic. Like all hinges, they are used to connect two surfaces or objects while allowing for a limited range of rotation. Plastic hinges are commonly used for packaging, food storage containers and in other applications where the lid needs to be opened and closed repeatedly.
Plastic hinges are often preferred over metal hinges due to their lightweight and corrosion-resistant properties. They weigh less than hinges made of metal, and many plastic hinges are also better protected from corrosion.
What Are Living Hinges?
Living hinges are mechanical bearings that are thin and flexible. They are used for the same purpose of connecting two surfaces or objects while allowing for a limited range of rotation. Living hinges, however, are thin and flexible.
They are known as “living hinges” because they can bend. Bending a living hinge will allow one of the surfaces or objects to pivot relative to the other without breaking.
Differences Between Plastic and Living Hinges
Despite the fact that many live hinges are constructed of plastic, they are not the same as plastic hinges. Hard plastic is frequently used to make larger, thicker hinges. Comparatively, living hinges are softer plastic hinges that are smaller and thinner.
Polypropylene plastic is used most often to make living hinges. A particular kind of plastic known as polypropylene is coveted for being soft and flexible. Plastic made of polypropylene may be bent without breaking it. It is a popular choice of material for living hinges because of its malleable and supple qualities.
Different applications use living hinges as opposed to plastic ones. Living hinges are frequently employed in medical applications because of their flexibility. For instance, pill bottles and cases may include a built-in live hinge. In more typical applications for hinges, such packaging and food storage containers, plastic hinges are increasingly prevalent.
The size of living hinges and plastic hinges is another distinction. Plastic hinges are often larger than biological hinges, as was already noted. Although living hinges may be longer than plastic hinges, they are often constructed of a thinner material.
