Modular Guarding
ARK Automation supplies hinge panels for modular machine guarding systems, perimeter guarding, robotic cells, automated equipment, production areas, and other industrial applications that require a movable or angled section of guarding.
Unlike a standard fixed guarding panel, a hinge panel includes hinge blocks along one side that allow the panel to rotate. This provides additional flexibility when designing a guarding enclosure and can be useful for creating occasional access openings, accommodating machinery movement, or connecting guarding sections at an angle.
For exact dimension values, please refer to the table below.
Industrial machinery and automation cells do not always fit into simple square or rectangular guarding layouts. Equipment orientation, existing building features, conveyors, maintenance areas, and production flow can all require the guarding system to change direction or provide a section that can be moved when necessary.
ARK hinge panels can help address these situations while remaining part of the same modular steel guarding system used throughout the enclosure.
Common applications can include:
Visit our machine guarding applications page for more examples of modular guarding configurations used around industrial machinery and automated equipment.
A standard machine guarding panel is generally installed as a fixed section of the enclosure. A hinge panel adds rotational movement through hinge blocks, allowing that section of the guarding to pivot or be positioned at an angle.
A hinge gate, by comparison, is designed specifically as an entrance or exit for routine personnel or maintenance access. Hinge panels are particularly useful where the primary goal is greater layout flexibility, occasional access, or the ability to open a larger portion of an enclosure when equipment needs to be moved.
Selecting between a fixed panel, hinge panel, or dedicated gate should be based on how the opening will actually be used and the requirements identified during the machine guarding risk assessment.
Individual ARK hinge panels are available in widths up to 1500 mm. Where a wider movable section is required, a left-hand and right-hand hinge panel can be used together to create an opening up to approximately 3000 mm wide.
This can be useful where equipment, tooling, fixtures, or other large components occasionally need to pass through the perimeter guarding. For access points used more frequently as a conventional doorway, ARK also offers dedicated hinge gates, slide gates, and other gate configurations.
ARK Automation hinge panels are available in widths from 300 mm to 1500 mm. Standard listed panel heights include:
Left-hand and right-hand hinge configurations are available so the panel can be matched to the required direction of movement and surrounding guarding layout.
Available panel configurations include welded wire mesh and Lexan options. Weld screen can also be added where the application requires additional screening. ARK’s standard guarding uses a powder-coated yellow formed-angle frame with black powder-coated welded wire mesh, while custom colours are also available. Nuts, bolts, and clips are zinc plated.
Use the product table below to review the available part numbers, widths, heights, hinge locations, panel styles, and weld screen colour options for individual hinge panel configurations.
Because a hinge panel can move, its location should be considered carefully when designing the complete guarding system. The panel needs enough clearance to rotate without interfering with machinery, workstations, aisles, conveyors, or other guarding components.
Before selecting a hinge panel, consider:
Hinge panels are part of the physical guarding system and should be incorporated into the overall machine safety design based on the equipment and hazards involved. In Ontario, Ontario Regulation 851 for Industrial Establishments requires machinery with exposed moving parts and other specified hazards to be guarded by a guard or other device that prevents access to the hazardous area.
If a hinge panel is intended to be opened while providing access to a hazardous area, the risk assessment should determine what additional measures are required. Depending on the application, these may include controlled access, an interlocking device, or safety controls connected through a safety relay or programmable safety controller.
The appropriate safeguarding method depends on the machinery, stopping characteristics, frequency of access, panel location, and applicable safety requirements. For additional planning considerations, see ARK’s guide to machine guarding standards and ANSI considerations.
Hinge panels can be combined with ARK Automation posts, brackets, standard panels, adjustable panels, custom panels, and gate systems to create a guarding enclosure around machinery or automated equipment.
Because the guarding system is modular, different component types can be used throughout the same layout depending on the available space and access requirements. Fixed panels can form the main perimeter, hinge panels can accommodate angled or movable sections, and dedicated gates can be positioned where routine access is required.
For unusual dimensions, clearances, or equipment layouts, ARK also offers custom machine guarding panels and a custom panel generator for planning specialized panel configurations.
To download the Catalogue Page, click on the link below:
Learn more about hinge panels, hinged machine guarding, available sizes, opening configurations, angled layouts, and how hinge panels differ from dedicated machine guarding gates.
A hinge panel is a modular guarding panel fitted with hinge blocks along one side so the panel can rotate rather than remaining completely fixed in position. Hinge panels can be used to create movable sections of machine guarding, accommodate angled enclosure layouts, or provide occasional access to equipment.
A hinge panel is primarily a guarding panel with the ability to rotate, while a hinge gate is designed specifically to provide an entrance or exit through the guarding system. Hinge panels are useful for angled layouts, occasional equipment access, or movable sections of an enclosure. A dedicated gate is generally more appropriate where personnel regularly need to enter and exit the guarded area.
Yes. The hinge blocks allow the panel to rotate, which means hinge panels can be used where two sections of guarding need to meet at an angle rather than following a straight or 90-degree layout. This can help the guarding follow irregular machinery footprints or existing facility constraints.
ARK Automation hinge panels are available in widths from 300 mm to 1500 mm. Available sizes vary by configuration, so the product table on this page should be used to confirm the appropriate part number, width, height, hinge location, and panel style.
ARK lists hinge panel heights of 1400 mm, 1700 mm, 2000 mm, 2300 mm, and 2900 mm. The appropriate height should be selected based on the surrounding guarding system, equipment layout, hazard assessment, and applicable machine safety requirements.
Yes. ARK Automation supplies both left-hand and right-hand hinge panel configurations. Hinge orientation should be selected based on the direction the panel needs to rotate, the surrounding guarding layout, available clearance, and nearby machinery or equipment.
Yes. Where a movable opening wider than a single 1500 mm panel is needed, a left-hand and right-hand hinge panel can be positioned together to create an opening up to approximately 3000 mm wide. This can be useful for occasional movement of machinery, tooling, fixtures, or other large equipment through the guarding perimeter.
Yes. ARK offers hinge panel configurations that include welded wire mesh and Lexan, and weld screen can also be incorporated into hinge panels. The appropriate panel material depends on the application, required visibility, process hazards, and surrounding guarding system.
A hinge panel can provide occasional access through the guarding, but the intended use should be considered when planning the system. If workers need to enter and exit regularly, a dedicated hinge gate, slide gate, or another purpose-designed gate may provide a more appropriate access point.
That depends on the machinery and the results of the risk assessment. If opening the panel provides access to a hazardous area while the machine could present a risk, additional safeguarding may be required. This can include an interlocking device and a safety control system using components such as a safety relay or programmable safety controller. The appropriate solution depends on the machine, access frequency, stopping characteristics, hazards, and applicable safety requirements.
Helpful information includes the required panel width and height, left-hand or right-hand hinge orientation, surrounding guarding dimensions, desired angle or movement, panel style, equipment layout, and the reason the panel needs to open or rotate. Drawings, CAD files, sketches, photos, or guarding layouts can also help ARK Automation identify an appropriate configuration.
Need help choosing hinge panels for your machine guarding system, angled enclosure, robotic cell, or equipment access area? Contact ARK Automation to discuss your required panel sizes, hinge orientation, guarding layout, panel options, and access requirements. You can also upload related files, drawings, layouts, or product lists using the form below.
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