Putting a New Spin on Glass Doors with Plastic Bearings

A Belgian company has put a new spin on assemblies for glass doors that makes it easy to add natural light to any room, all without the burden of framing. The innovative products from PortaPivot have captured the attention of the interior design and architectural community, which have showered the company with multiple awards.

The uniqueness of the door assemblies comes from their ability to have doors swing 90 deg. in one direction, or 180 or 360 deg. in both directions, all with extreme ease. “It’s not like glass doors in the supermarkets, where you feel a great deal of resistance when you push them,’’ said Koen Dries, the company’s sales and marketing director. “Since our doors are exclusively designed for indoor use, they do not have to be designed to withstand strong wind.”

The key to the door assembly packages are Stealth Pivot hinges that move with highly durable plastic bearings. Manufactured by igus, the Germany-based motion plastics manufacturer, the bearings are rated up to 150 kilograms (about 330 lb) and support the complete weight of the door. The door assemblies are made with a minimal anodized aluminum frame and are available in three colors. They can be fitted with tempered safety glass in 6 or 8 mm.

Custom-made, Self-assembled

PortaPivot has been developing innovative door systems under the name of ANYWAY doors since 1995. The company initially focused on Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, but has been selling products on the global B2B market for about a year.

The products are custom-made, self-assembly kits. They are frequently used by interior professionals, door installers, and high-end carpenters. The assembly is available in black, brown, or aluminum finishes, and aluminum lines can be glued on top of the glass for creative and aesthetic design purposes.