Premier Merit Plug Supplier and Manufacturer in China

KDM Stainless Steel Door Handles

As part of a world-class stainless steel door handles supplier, KDM introduces some of the properties it has. First and foremost, this is very easy to clean but a little maintenance is required. For the lastingness of the product, maintenance is needed. However, KDM is an expert in manufacturing high-quality door handles by using stainless steel materials. Stainless steels are suitable for some environments in which exposure to shorelines is in particular. This is a good choice material for a perfect stainless steel door handle fabrications.

Different designs of stainless steel door handles are offered to make sure they go well on door installment applications. Our design team is very determined to produce extra-durable stainless steel door handles for long-run purposes. So if you want to bulk of orders to complete door projects, we can give you much information about why you should choose our best kind of services.

We know how difficult it is to choose what perfect door handles are most suitable. But if you have specific and own preferences for stainless steel door handles, we can help to manufacture them. We have over 10 years of expertise, we can ensure to reach your satisfaction requirements.

Please contact us to know about the benefits of having stainless steel door handles on your hands.

The Ultimate FAQ Guide To Stainless Steel Door Handles

Why Manufacture Door Handles From Stainless Steel?

Stainless steel is a durable and aesthetic material that will serve you for a long time, not getting rusted.

Thus, stainless steel door handles are reliable and practical, which is perfect for a door handle.

Stainless steel door handle

Stainless steel is also non-porous, meaning that bacteria can not live in it, making this material hygienic—ideal for a door handle.

KDM stainless steel door handles can be of any design, and the material makes reliable products for your custom needs.

What Type Of Stainless Steel Is Used For Door Handles?

Stainless steel is a mixture of chromium, nickel, molybdenum, and other metals with the iron-carbon alloy.

Steel grades differ in the content or proportions of all these additives.

Stainless steel restaurant tables are manufactured from steel grades 304, 316, and 201.

316 stainless steel grade protects the best against salt spray, certain acids and bases, and high temperatures because of its higher concentration of molybdenum.

Stainless steel

Grade 316 is, thus, really good for food-related applications like restaurant tables.

Grade 304 is cheaper and more common in general use than grade 316, but less corrosion-resistant.

Steel grade 201 is also very popular and cheap, but less durable than grades 304 and 316.

However, grade 201 can be hardened by cold-working, making it stronger.

We especially recommend grades 304 and 316 for stainless steel door handles: because one is cheap and the other is exceptionally durable.

How Are Stainless Steel Door Handles Made?

Stainless steel door handles can be made by casting, for forging.

Casting is when molten metal is poured into a mold, whereas forging is when heated metal is forced into shape under high pressure.

Forging strengthens the material and is more economical.

Once the door handle is cast or forged, it undergoes different coining, milling, drilling, and tapping processes.

   Forging

These prepare the product for a final step—applying a polish or paint.

For further protection, an organic or inorganic coating is applied using several different processes.

Organic coatings include polyurethanes, acrylics, and epoxies.

They provide protection from chemicals, as well as a non-slip surface.

However, because the solvents used in organic coatings are capable of producing toxic byproducts and quality problems, many manufacturers are turning to inorganic coatings based on inert metals.

These can also be used decoratively, as silver and gold are among inert metals.

These are applied using electroplating or physical vapor deposition (PVD), which disperses metal into a thin film.

How Are Stainless Steel Door Handles Installed?

Firstly, the latch is installed into the side of the door, and a faceplate is screwed in on top.

Then, the handle itself is installed by aligning the spindle with the slot in the latch.

The outside housing is installed before the inside housing.

Again, the spindle is aligned with the latch.

Finally, the handle is secured in place by screwing the backplate or the rose to the door.

This works for levers and door knobs.

For dummy pull handles, the spindles are not aligned, since the latch and the handle are separate.

Thus, the handles are just screwed in place: very simple installation.

Flush handles need a hole in the door to be fitted into.

 Installation of stainless steel door handle

What Is A Passage Lever?

Passage levers have a latch to keep the door closed, but it lacks a locking mechanism.

Thus, passage levers make it so the door is always unlocked.

These handles are used in hallway doors and cabinets that do not need a lock anyway.

Stainless steel door lever

What Is A Dummy Door Lever?

Dummy door levers are simple door handles that do not have any locking or latching mechanisms.

These just pull handles used on various cabinets.

Stainless steel pull handle

What Is A Keyed Entry Door Handle?

These handles are used on exterior doors or any door that needs the added security of a door lock.

These locking stainless steel door handles have a keyed cylinder on the outside and require the user to have a key.

Some keyed entry locks may include a panic release feature that allows for the lock to deactivate if the handle is turned from the inside.

What Is A Privacy Door Handle?

A privacy door handle can be used on bedrooms and bathrooms for privacy.

These door handles have a locking mechanism, but not a keyed cylinder on the outside like an exterior lock.

Privacy locks are not as secure as keyed entry locks since you can easily pick it open with any small tool like a hairpin or a paper clip.

This is useful for residential homes, especially those with children, so that you can access the room if a child accidentally locked themselves inside.

What Designs Of Stainless Steel Door Handles Are There?

Door handles can be all sorts of designs.

Levers, which protrude to the side, can be curved or straight, with smooth edges, or sharp ones.

Curved lever handles have an elegant style perfect for interior doors of homes and hotels.

There can also be curved dummy handles.

Plus, the curvature may be along any of the x-y-z axes.

  Differently curved stainless steel door handles

They are also ergonomic and provide more creative freedom, as the curves can be designed in many ways.

Straight lever handles are traditional and suit any style.

Furthermore, door handles can have smooth edges, as in round straight handles, or the edges can be sharp.

Sharp edges create a futuristic look, but are not very comfortable to hold onto.

Handle with sharp edges

Thus, they are more suitable for offices, labs, and other commercial places.

The designs for dummy pull handles are similar.

Pull handles are often used in commercial and academic settings.

There also are doorknobs, which are common in residential homes.

Stainless steel door knobs

They are often spherical, but they can be any other shape, including various organic shapes, making your door look like the installation of modern art.

We also offer sliding door stainless steel handles, which are flush handles with a recessed surface that you can grip onto.

Flush stainless steel door handle

Such stainless steel handles are great for garage doors, barn doors, sliding doors, room dividers, and cabinet doors/covers.

Besides these, there are also vintage door handles, which are great for exterior doors.

Plus, the edges can have decorative effects, like contrasting finishes and grooves.

  Handle with decorations

What Panels Or Bases Can Stainless Steel Door Handles Have?

Door handle bases, or panels, can be as a backplate or as a rose.

A backplate creates a traditional-style handle look.

Backplates can be designed for levers, knobs, and other handles.

Backplates make installing the handle a bit easier and provide some structural support.

Backplates are flexible in design, giving you an opportunity to choose from a range of styles, from the classic shape to square, oval, rhombus, curved or even fleur-de-lys for more traditional buildings or places with Medieval or vintage atmosphere.

  Fleur-de-lys backplate

A rose is a square or a circular backplate, which can be raised (not flush with the door, unlike backplates).

They surround the point at which the handle connects to the door, ensuring that the fixings are hidden from view to add a better appearance to the door.

 Stainless steel door handle rose

They are much smaller than backplates, and do not come with locks, but, if needed, locks can be fixed separately and covered with escutcheon plates to create a smooth finish.

Escutcheon plates are the keyhole covers, usually circular, through which keys pass to enter the lock body.

Escutcheon plate

What Locks Can Stainless Steel Door Handles Be Combined With?

Stainless steel door handles often have keyed entry locks, turn locks, and push-button locks.

Keyed entry locks are the most secure ones and they require a key.

The lock itself can be either on the handle or below it.

  Keyed entry stainless steel door handle

Plus, the lock opening can be hidden with a small cover that is pushed away when needed.

Keyed entry locks can use cam locks, euro locks, and deadbolts.

Cam locks are simple and affordable, but not as secure as could be.

Cam locks are made of a cylindrical base and a cam, which is a metal piece that lets the cover open once a key pushes it up.

There are multiple types of cams, such as straight, hooked, and offset, that offer different levels of complexity.

These locks can rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise, limited to 90 or 180 degrees.

 Cam lock

These are mainly used on cabinet doors.

Euro profile locks are popular in Europe, but are also sometimes used in North America.

They look like a circle with an oval on the bottom.

Because euro locks are held in place by a single screw, they are simple to install, but their disadvantage lies with that one screw as well, since it can be easily broken.

Euro profile lock

Deadbolts are some of the most reliable locks you can find.

It has a cylinder for the key and a bolt that rests in the cover, preventing it from opening.

Once a key is inserted, the bolt moves, letting the cover open.

   Deadbolt lock

Sliding door handles can have all these locks as well.

Turn locks are simple mechanisms that extend prongs upon the turn, locking the door.

   Turn lock

Such locks can be used on most door handles, although they are not popular on sliding door handles.

Finally, there are push-button locks, which are usually used for privacy locks.

  Push-button handle lock

Often, they are installed on knob handles.

These push-button locks can be installed on lever handles well, and there they can even be placed on the thumb side on the handle.

Once a button is pushed, prongs extend, but if the button is pushed again, a spring mechanism unlocks the door.

Additionally, electronic locks are also possible.

Electronic lock with handle

How Do Locking Stainless Steel Door Handles Work?

The traditional door knob or handle has a bolt or spindle running through it.

This spindle sits just above a cylinder, to which the spindle is connected.

Turning the knob or lever pulls the cylinder in the direction of the turn.

The end of the cylinder is the latch bolt—also called more simply as the “latch”.

The latch bolt protrudes into a space carved out of the door frame, and which prevents the door from being opened if the cylinder is not turned back.

A spring or some similar mechanism makes sure that the latch returns to its protruding state whenever the knob is not being turned.

The plate on the front edge of the lock, where the latch bolt protrudes is called the faceplate.

Stainless steel faceplate

What Coatings And Finishes Can A Stainless Steel Door Handle Have?

You can request various polishes like satin, brushed, mirror, antique matte, cross, vibration, ring, pattern, and many more.

Satin polish is an abrasive polish that uses aluminum oxide as an abrasive substance.

  Brushed vs satin polish

Cross polish is similar to brushed, but the lines meet at 45-degree angles.

These polishes are especially good for door handles because they create a non-slip rough surface.

Mirror polish is exactly what it sounds like — a very smooth mirror surface.

It is easier to clean, but any scratches and fingerprints are very prominent on such a surface.

Mirror polish does look very aesthetic, industrial, and futuristic.

This finish produces a fairly smooth surface good for stainless steel door handles.

There is also brushed/hairline finish, which shows lines and is rougher to touch.

Brushed polish also does not show scratches and fingerprints.

Mirror finish

Antique matte gives the metal surface a very soft look.

It guards against fingerprints and has a grainy texture similar to cross polish.

 Antique matte finish

Vibration polish is basically brushed polish, but the lines are non-directional.

Such polish reflects the light in an interesting way, looking expensive.

It also protects from fingerprints.

Ring polish creates a ring-like pattern on the surface, which looks futuristic, and can be used on backplates or roses.

 Ring polish

Also, there are pattern embossments, which can be of any shape: square, teardrop, circle, etc.

These embossments provide an industrial look, which can be atmospheric for utility facilities or thematic commercial places.

Embossed stainless steel surface

Again, these are great for backplates and roses, not the actual handles.

Similarly, you can request an engraved pattern.

Engraving a stainless steel door handle or backplate/rose produces elegant and aesthetic results.

Usually, about 0.005 inches or 0.010 inches of metal is removed from the surface.

Once the metal has been removed, it is filled in with epoxy paint of any color to match your requirements.

Depending on the pattern, the handle can look vintage or futuristic.

Engraved handle

You can also request different decorative coatings that add colour to stainless steel.

Such coatings are usually coloured metals that are electroplated—and sometimes lacquered as well—on top of stainless steel.

Electroplating is a process that involves passing an electrical current through 2 metals, where one metal takes ions from the other metal.

As a result, one metal gets coating with another, while the other corrodes.

Stainless steel can be electroplated with various metals.

You can request brass, bronze, or gold for a yellow, orange, or warm brown colour.

Copper goes for reddish and pink colours.

Chrome, nickel, cadmium, and pewter give cool-toned silvers and greys.

  Electroplated coatings

Door handles may have a specialty non-slip coating for a better grip.

Such coatings are helpful for industrial and utility stainless steel or galvanized steel doors, especially where the door handle may become greasy—non-slip coating will counteract this.

Finally, stainless steel door handles can be painted with powder coating.

Powder coating is when powder paint is electrostatically sprayed onto a metal surface.

Painted stainless steel door handle

We can also paint it according to your colour swatch, Pantone, RGB, or RAL colour request.

If you need a custom polish, contact us and we will design it for you!