'With an ordinary hinge, this can no longer be accommodated'

Extra strong safety hinge is solution for heavy wooden thickened (garage) doors

For 140 years Breuer & Schmitz has been the address for quality hinges for commercial and residential construction. From ball bearing hinges to slide bearing hinges, ball pin hinges to heavy project hinges, equipped with all required quality marks, certifire and Cradle-to-Cradle. To respond to the trend of thickened wooden garage doors, the company introduced the Portus: an extra strong safety hinge for wider and heavier doors.

Breuer & Schmitz has the widest range of hinges, available in all common sizes and in a wide range of finishes such as galvanized, stainless steel, old bronze, matte brass and bright brass. Almost all models are available in the popular matte black powder coating and multiple colors are available upon request. 

Garage doors are becoming more beautiful and luxurious, but with that often also wider, thicker and heavier. "With an ordinary hinge this can no longer be accommodated, because then the load-bearing capacity is not sufficient," says Gijs-Bert Drost, account manager for Southern Netherlands and Belgium. "That's why we have launched an extra sturdy hinge especially for these thickened wooden garage doors with a knocked-out width - or cantilever - of up to no less than 180 mm, good for a load capacity of up to 160 kg."

Gijs-Bert has some more details. "With a knot of 22 mm and made of 4 mm thick material, the 100 mm high hinge is available in three different sizes of 110 mm, 152 mm and thus even 180 mm wide, with the virtual load capacity being 160, 180 and 200 kilograms respectively."

The Portus - as this safety hinge is called - is available from stock in various versions: in galvanized steel, stainless steel or in matte black powder coating. "Incidentally, this hinge features maintenance-free radial and axial slide bearings and a screwed hinge pin with roll-through protection. And, equipped as standard with a sturdy thief's claw, the hinge is SKG-certified." 

Small series

Both with wholesalers and end processors the Portus is already a great success, Gijs-Bert knows. "Another factor is that we specialize in small series and customization. On request we can also coat the hinges in various other RAL colors. This allows us to respond adequately to specific customer requirements like no other."

Energy-neutral production process

Breuer & Schmitz also leads the way when it comes to the environment. Last December, for example, the company achieved silver Cradle-to-Cradle certification for much of its product range. "An important role in this is played by our sustainable company building in Solingen, Germany, which was put into operation in spring 2022," continues Gijs-Bert. "On the roof of this new building are more than 4,000 m² of solar panels. As a result, we have already achieved virtually energy-neutral production. In fact, thanks to the solar panels we will have generated more energy in the year 2023 than we consumed."

Big question

Breuer & Schmitz is not the biggest company, which is why we always run just a step faster than the rest, Gijs-Bert explains. "Partly as a result, we are little affected by the slightly declining demand in the Dutch construction market. On the contrary: especially in projects in the field of utilities and luxury apartment building in large cities, the demand for our quality hinges is higher than ever. We continue to pull out all the stops to meet the wishes of our customers."