Cranking in Concealed Hinges — Importance for Door Overlay

January 5, 2026

Cranking in a concealed hinge refers to the bend of the hinge arm. It decisively determines the door overlay, meaning how the cabinet door is positioned relative to the carcass side when closed. Depending on the extent of this bend, furniture doors can be installed as full overlay, half overlay, or inset doors.

What exactly is cranking?

In cabinet making, the concealed hinge forms the movable connection between the cabinet side panel (carcass) and the door. Whilst the hinge cup is recessed into a drilled hole in the door, the hinge arm is clipped or screwed onto a mounting plate on the inside wall of the carcass.

The shape of this hinge arm is not always straight. The deliberate angled bend of the metal arm is referred to in hardware technology as cranking. Mechanically, it acts like a bespoke lever arm that shifts the pivot point and guides the cabinet door precisely past the carcass side along a clearly defined circular path. By choosing suitable concealed hinges / cabinet hinges with the corresponding cranking, the installer determines how much of the carcass edge is covered by the closed door.

Types of cranking and the resulting door overlay

In furniture manufacturing, three main types are distinguished, differing in their millimetre measurement and their intended application.

0 mm cranking: Full overlay

If the hinge arm is completely straight and features no bend, this is referred to as 0 mm cranking. This design is used for a full overlay (also known as standard overlay). When closed, the door rests almost completely over the front edge of the carcass wall. Only a minimal reveal remains so that the door does not bind against the side wall when opening. Matching category: Concealed hinges full overlay

9.5 mm cranking: Half overlay

If the hinge arm features a medium bend (typically around 9.5 mm), the hinge is designed for a half overlay (also known as twin overlay or dual application). This variant is used when two adjacent doors are mounted onto a single, central carcass partition wall (centre panel). Each door covers only about half of the front edge, leaving a gap in the centre for the unrestricted movement of both doors. Matching category: Concealed hinges half overlay

16 mm cranking: Inset doors

With a pronounced bend of the hinge arm of usually 15 mm to 17 mm, these fittings are for inset doors. Here, the door does not rest on the front edge of the carcass, but closes flush between the side walls inside the cabinet interior. The front edges of the piece of furniture therefore remain fully visible when the door is closed. Matching categories: Concealed hinges inset as well as Concealed hinges inset doors

Dimensions, standards, and typical values

The choice of the correct cranking is always accompanied by other technical parameters of the hinge. For standard furniture doors, a cup diameter of 35 mm is typically drilled. When planning the door overlay, the thickness of the mounting plate (distance) must be taken into account alongside the cranking, as this fine-tunes the gap pattern. Matching category: Concealed hinges 35 mm

The opening angle can be selected independently of the cranking. For classic cabinet doors in living and kitchen areas, joiners frequently turn to concealed hinges / cabinet hinges 110 degrees. Modern designs also integrate a damping cylinder inside the hinge arm, regardless of how heavily cranked it is. This technology, known as soft-close, gently cushions the closing movement. Matching category: Concealed hinges / cabinet hinges with damping (Soft Close)

Usage and selection during installation

For correct installation, the board thickness of the carcass (usually 16 mm, 18 mm, or 19 mm) is crucial. The joiner calculates the desired door overlay and selects the cranking accordingly.

After installation, the gap pattern can be fine-tuned in three dimensions (depth, height, lateral overlay) using the adjustment screws on the cranked hinge arm, usually within a range of +/- 2 mm. When planning drawers behind inset doors, the pronounced bend of the inset hinge must be considered, as the hinge arm protrudes into the clear internal carcass space and could collide with drawer runners.