Description
Safetech Non-Tension Hinges – AlfaHinge – SHN-90L
The Safetech AlfaHinge SHN-90L is a pair of neutral-tension gate hinges designed for pedestrian and swing gates where smooth, unrestricted manual movement is required without automatic self-closing action.
Featuring Safetech’s two-leg mounting design, vertical gate adjustment and durable fibre-reinforced engineered polymer construction, the SHN-90L provides a reliable and economical alternative to conventional metal gate hinges.
With a maximum holding capacity of 28kg under Safetech’s standard test conditions, the SHN-90L is ideal for compatible aluminium, steel and timber pedestrian gates where a self-closing spring is not required.
🚪 Neutral / Non-Tension Design
The SHN-90L is a neutral-tension hinge.
Unlike the SHF-90L fixed-tension model, the SHN-90L does not contain a spring designed to automatically return the gate to the closed position.
This allows the gate to swing freely and remain manually controlled by the user.
🔄 Smooth Manual Gate Movement
The neutral hinge design allows the gate to be opened and closed without working against a self-closing spring.
This makes the SHN-90L particularly suitable for:
- Standard pedestrian gates
- Side access gates
- Garden gates
- Residential gates
- Fence gates
- Manual swing gates
- Gates using a separate closing device
- Applications where automatic closing is not required
🦵 Two-Leg Mounting Design
The SHN-90L is the two-leg version of Safetech’s neutral-tension AlfaHinge.
The additional mounting legs provide extra fixing locations against the gate post for a secure installation.
For applications requiring a more compact single-leg mounting arrangement, Safetech also produces the SHN-90L-1.
🆚 SHN-90L vs SHN-90L-1
Safetech offers its neutral-tension AlfaHinge in two mounting configurations.
SHN-90L:
- Two-leg mounting design
- Neutral / non-tension operation
- Vertical adjustment
- 28kg maximum holding capacity
SHN-90L-1:
- Single-leg mounting design
- Neutral / non-tension operation
- Vertical adjustment
- 28kg maximum holding capacity
The appropriate model can be selected according to the available mounting space and gate construction.
🆚 SHN-90L vs SHF-90L
The SHN-90L and SHF-90L share the same two-leg AlfaHinge mounting style but perform different functions.
SHN-90L:
- Neutral / non-tension
- No self-closing spring
- Free manual gate movement
- 28kg maximum holding capacity
- Vertical adjustment
- Two mounting legs
SHF-90L:
- Fixed-tension
- Self-closing spring
- 28kg maximum holding capacity
- 15kg maximum closing capacity
- Vertical adjustment
- Two mounting legs
Choose the SHN-90L where free manual gate movement is required.
Choose the SHF-90L where automatic self-closing action is required.
💪 28kg Maximum Holding Capacity
Safetech specifies a maximum holding weight of 28kg for the SHN-90L hinge pair under its standard test conditions.
Because the SHN-90L is a neutral-tension hinge, it does not have a self-closing weight rating.
For this model:
- Maximum Holding Weight: 28kg
- Self-Closing Function: No
- Closing Weight Rating: Not Applicable
📐 Gate Dimensions Affect Capacity
Gate weight should not be considered independently from gate dimensions.
Safetech’s 28kg holding-weight rating is based on a standard test gate measuring approximately 900mm wide x 1200mm high.
Increasing the width or height of a gate can increase the leverage applied to the hinges and supporting post.
For gates outside Safetech’s standard test dimensions, hinge suitability should therefore be assessed according to the complete gate design rather than weight alone.
↕️ Vertical Adjustment
The SHN-90L provides vertical adjustment to assist with correctly positioning the gate during installation.
This allows the installer to fine-tune the gate height and alignment relative to the latch, gate stop and surrounding fence.
Vertical adjustment can be particularly useful for achieving:
- Consistent gate clearance
- Correct latch alignment
- Correct gate height
- Improved overall gate alignment
🧱 Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Construction
Safetech manufactures its AlfaHinge range from durable fibre-reinforced engineered polymer.
The reinforced construction provides strength while avoiding the corrosion problems associated with conventional unprotected steel hinge bodies.
The polymer construction also provides a clean appearance suitable for modern gate and fencing systems.
☀️ UV-Stabilised Construction
Safetech’s AlfaHinge range uses UV-stabilised polymer designed to resist fading and deterioration from prolonged exposure to sunlight.
This makes the SHN-90L well suited to outdoor gate installations exposed to normal Australian weather conditions.
🔩 Rust-Resistant Stainless-Steel Pins
The engineered polymer hinge body is combined with rust-resistant stainless-steel hinge pins.
The combination of polymer and stainless steel provides a corrosion-resistant hinge system specifically suited to external gate installations.
🌦️ Designed for Outdoor Use
The corrosion-resistant construction makes the SHN-90L particularly suitable for outdoor pedestrian gates.
Unlike conventional unprotected mild-steel hinges, the polymer hinge body will not rust.
This can make the AlfaHinge a practical replacement for conventional hinges that have deteriorated after prolonged exposure to weather.
🏠 Ideal for Aluminium Gates
The black AlfaHinge is particularly well suited to modern aluminium pedestrian gates.
Its compact appearance complements common powder-coated gate frames while the two-leg mounting arrangement provides additional fixing locations against a suitable gate post.
Typical applications include:
- Aluminium pedestrian gates
- Aluminium slat gates
- Aluminium batten gates
- Aluminium privacy gates
- Aluminium fence gates
- Custom fabricated aluminium gates
🪵 Suitable for Metal & Timber Gates
Safetech specifies the SHN-90L for compatible metal and timber gates.
Suitable gate materials include:
- Aluminium
- Steel
- Timber
The gate and supporting post must provide a suitable structural mounting surface for the hinges and fixing hardware.
🚶 Ideal for Manual Pedestrian Gates
The SHN-90L is particularly useful where the gate is intended to move freely rather than automatically returning to the closed position.
Typical applications include:
- Residential pedestrian gates
- Garden gates
- Side access gates
- Utility gates
- Fence gates
- Manual access gates
- Compatible commercial pedestrian gates
🔗 Compatible with Gate Latches
The SHN-90L can be combined with a wide range of compatible gate latches.
Because the hinge does not automatically return the gate to the closed position, the user must manually close the gate before the latch can engage unless a separate gate-closing device is installed.
🔧 Excellent Replacement Hinge
The AlfaHinge is particularly useful for replacement applications where existing conventional hinges have become worn, damaged or corroded.
Its fibre-reinforced polymer construction, stainless-steel hinge pins and vertical adjustment provide a practical and economical replacement solution for compatible pedestrian gates.
Gate dimensions, weight and existing mounting conditions should always be checked before replacing another hinge system.
🎨 Clean Black Finish
The SHN-90L is supplied in a black finish designed to complement common aluminium, steel and timber gate systems.
Its polymer construction provides a clean and unobtrusive appearance without the bulk associated with many traditional metal hinge arrangements.
📦 Supplied as a Pair
The SHN-90L is supplied as a pair of neutral-tension hinges for one gate.
A standard installation consists of:
- 1 × Upper SHN-90L AlfaHinge
- 1 × Lower SHN-90L AlfaHinge
The pair works together to support the gate while allowing unrestricted manual swing movement.
Key Features
- Genuine Safetech Hardware product
- AlfaHinge range
- Model SHN-90L
- Neutral / non-tension design
- No self-closing spring
- Free manual gate movement
- Supplied as a pair
- 28kg maximum holding capacity
- Two-leg mounting design
- Vertical gate adjustment
- Fibre-reinforced engineered polymer construction
- UV-stabilised polymer
- Rust-resistant stainless-steel hinge pins
- Corrosion-resistant construction
- Black finish
- Suitable for aluminium gates
- Suitable for steel gates
- Suitable for timber gates
- Suitable for pedestrian gates
- Ideal for manual swing gates
- Economical replacement hinge option
- Designed for outdoor gate installations
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Safetech Hardware
- Product Range: AlfaHinge
- Model: SHN-90L
- Product Type: Neutral / Non-Tension Gate Hinges
- Quantity: Pair
- Tension Type: Neutral / Non-Tension
- Self-Closing: No
- Maximum Holding Weight: 28kg
- Closing Weight: Not Applicable
- Adjustment: Vertical
- Mounting Configuration: Two Legs
- Number of Legs: 2
- Body Material: Fibre-Reinforced Engineered Polymer
- Pins: Rust-Resistant Stainless Steel
- UV Stabilised: Yes
- Colour: Black
- Application: Metal & Timber Gates
Compatibility
The Safetech AlfaHinge SHN-90L is designed for compatible manual pedestrian and swing gates.
Suitable applications include:
- Aluminium gates
- Steel gates
- Timber gates
- Pedestrian gates
- Garden gates
- Side access gates
- Residential fence gates
- Manual access gates
The SHN-90L is particularly suitable where the installation requires:
- Neutral hinge operation
- Free manual gate movement
- Two-leg mounting
- Vertical gate adjustment
- Corrosion-resistant outdoor hardware
For applications requiring automatic self-closing operation, consider the Safetech SHF-90L fixed-tension hinge or an appropriate Safetech adjustable-tension hinge.
⚠️ Please Note
The SHN-90L is a neutral / non-tension hinge and does not automatically close the gate.
Safetech specifies a maximum holding weight of 28kg for the hinge pair.
There is no closing-weight rating for the SHN-90L because it does not contain a self-closing spring.
Safetech’s 28kg holding-weight rating is based on a standard test gate measuring approximately 900mm wide x 1200mm high.
Gates exceeding these dimensions can place additional leverage on the hinges and may reduce their effective holding capacity.
The SHN-90L is the two-leg model. For a compact single-leg mounting arrangement, select the Safetech SHN-90L-1.
If automatic self-closing operation is required, a suitable fixed-tension or adjustable-tension Safetech hinge should be selected instead.
Because the SHN-90L does not provide self-closing action, it should not be selected where the application or applicable regulations require the gate to automatically return to the closed position unless an appropriate separate closing system is provided.
The gate and supporting posts must be structurally suitable for the loads imposed by the gate and hinge system.
If you are unsure whether the Safetech AlfaHinge SHN-90L is suitable for your gate, contact our Technical Support team on 1300 733 066 before ordering.
