Sheep Gate with Hinges
SKU: FL-LF-003
Lightweight yet sturdy sheep gate, 1.2m wide, perfect for sheep pen access. Includes adjustable hinges.
| Material | Galvanized steel (Q235, square tube 40×40×1.2mm) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing Process | Tube laser + MIG welding + hot-dip galvanizing |
| Surface Finish | Hot-dip galvanized |
| Tolerance | ±2mm |
| Dimensions | 1200×1000mm |
| Tube size | 40×40×1.2mm |
| Vertical bars | 6 pcs |
| Hinge type | Adjustable pin |
| MOQ | 100 units |
| Lead Time | Quoted after drawing review and process confirmation |
| Sample Time | Quoted after drawing review and process confirmation |
| Sample Fee | USD 150 |
| Price Range | USD 35-50/unit |
| Applications | Sheep pens, lambing areas, sheep sorting yards |
| Compliance | ISO 1461 |
| Export Markets | UK, New Zealand, Australia |
How This Sheep Gate with Hinges Is Fabricated and Checked
A gate is judged by whether it still swings and latches after a few winters. That comes down to two things set at the fixture: how square the frame is, and whether the hinge axis is actually vertical on the post it ends up on.
| Stage | What happens | What is verified before the job moves on |
|---|---|---|
| Tube cutting | 40 x 40 mm square tube cut to length for the frame and the internal members | Length and end squareness. A gate frame is welded on a rectangle, and a single short member pulls the whole frame out of square |
| Frame welding and squaring | Frame welded in a fixture with the diagonals held | Both diagonals, measured as a pair. A gate that is square on one diagonal and not the other will drop at the far corner once it is hung |
| Hinge provision | Hinge halves positioned and welded, with the hinge axis set vertical to the frame | Hinge position and axis alignment. A hinge welded off vertical makes the gate swing uphill and refuse to stay where it is left |
| Latch and striker provision | Latch keep and striker positions made to the design | That the latch lines up with the striker through the full swing, not only in the closed position |
| Drain and vent provision | Holes drilled into the closed frame sections for the galvanising bath | Hole position on every closed member, since the frame is a set of sealed boxes once it is welded |
| Hot-dip galvanising | The gate is dipped, drained and cooled | Zinc thickness and drain condition, and that no zinc has bridged the hinge gap |
| Post-galvanising check | Hinge pins and any threads cleared, and the gate checked for square and swing | That the gate swings freely on its pins after galvanising, which is the check that catches a hinge that has been filled with zinc |
| Packing | Gates stacked with protection at the hinge points | That hinges are not loaded or bent by the stack |
Changes Sheep Gate Hinges Can Absorb Without New Tooling
Gate sizing and hinge choice are the two decisions; the frame follows.
| What can be changed | What it affects | What it does not affect |
|---|---|---|
| Width, height and member spacing | Tube lengths, member count and the weight the hinge carries | The frame section |
| Hinge type and side | Which way the gate swings, and whether it can be lifted off | The frame, provided the hinge positions stay |
| Latch type | Whether it is a slide bolt, a chain or a self-locking catch | The hinge side |
| Infill: bars, mesh or sheet | What the gate holds, and how much an animal can lean on it | The frame |
| Finish: galvanised as standard | Life in a wet environment | Nothing structural |
| Supplied with posts or gate only | Whether the hinge axis has to be set to our post or yours | The gate itself |
Sheep Gate Hinges: Common Buyer Questions
Why does a galvanised gate sometimes sag after a few years?
Usually because the hinge axis was not vertical when the gate was hung, so the gate has been swinging uphill and the pin has worn on one side. It is also caused by a gate hung on a post that moved. Both are installation issues, which is why the hinge axis is set to the frame at the fixture and the fixing centres for the post are given on the drawing.
Should the hinges be welded on or supplied loose?
Both are normal. Welded hinges give a stronger, simpler gate that arrives ready to hang, and they rely on our post fixing positions being right. Loose hinges let the installer set the axis to a post that is already in the ground, which is often the case on a retrofit. Tell us which situation applies.
What is the correct member spacing?
It follows what the gate is holding. Sheep and lambs need a closer spacing than cattle, and a gap wide enough for a lamb to get its head through but not back out is the classic mistake. Give us the animal and the age group and the spacing is set to that.
Squareness and hinge axis decide whether the gate still works in five years, and both are set before galvanising. Send the opening width and what the gate holds through the RFQ form and the frame and hinge position are made to it. Related: welding, surface finishing and quality inspection.
Adjustable Hinges Exist Because Posts Are Never Where the Drawing Says
A gate with adjustable hinges is not a premium feature, it is a recognition of how a pen gets built. Posts move, ground settles, and a gate that fitted perfectly on installation day will sag or bind a season later. The adjustment is what lets someone correct that with a spanner instead of with a welder. What matters is that the adjustment holds once it is set: a gate swung several times a day works at the hinge, and an adjuster that slips turns a five-minute correction into a weekly one.
- 1.2 m is a working width chosen for handling, not a structural limit – the section and the hinge carry the gate, and a wider gate changes both.
- Hot-dip galvanizing after welding protects the hinge end of the gate too, but it adds thickness inside every hole. Pin and hole sizes have to allow for the coating or the hinge will not assemble.
- Square tube at 40 x 40 mm with a 1.2 mm wall is light enough for one person to handle and stiff enough not to rack. That balance is the whole design.
Why a Sheep Gate Is Checked for Sag Rather Than for Strength
A gate rarely breaks. It sags, and then the latch will not meet the strike and the gate has to be lifted to close. Sag comes from two places: the hinge side settling, and the gate itself taking a permanent set under its own weight over years. Neither is a material failure. The first is a fixing and post problem, and the second is a section problem – a gate built from too light a tube will take a set that no amount of hinge adjustment will remove.
We check gates on a flat surface for the latch side dropping before they are packed, and we check the hinge for a free swing without play. Both are quick checks and both catch the two ways a gate stops working. If your gates are hung on timber posts rather than steel, say so at quote stage – the hinge plate and the fixing pattern are specified differently, and it is a change made on the drawing rather than on site. Lead time is quoted after drawing review and process confirmation.
Payment Terms
How a project is paid for is agreed before production starts, and the structure that applies to your order is stated on the quotation and on the order confirmation, so there is no ambiguity later.
- 30% advance payment with the order and the 70% balance before shipment — our standard structure.
- 70% advance payment with the order and the 30% balance before shipment — used for some projects.
- 100% payment in advance before production starts — used for some projects.
If your finance team works to a fixed structure, say so in the first enquiry and we will confirm what applies to your order before you commit. Request a quotation.
Questions buyers ask before sending drawings
The questions that come up most often before a project starts, answered the way we answer them by email.
What do you need from me to quote Sheep Gate with Hinges?
2D drawings as PDF, DWG or DXF, or 3D files as STEP, IGES or SolidWorks, together with material grade, sheet thickness, surface finish, quantity and destination country. If the drawing is not finished yet, send a photo, a sketch or the existing part instead — we review what can be measured from it and reply with the questions that still need answering.
How long does a quotation take?
Enquiries are answered within one business day. Simple laser-cut and bent parts are quoted within 24 hours. Welded frames, assembled units and multi-part structures are quoted after the drawing review and process confirmation, and the date is confirmed in our reply.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
Prototypes are made from a single piece and small batches of 10–50 pieces are routine. Prototype, first batch and repeat volume are quoted together so the numbers stay consistent as the project scales.
Can you work from a sample or a photo if I have no drawing?
Yes. Send the part itself, clear photographs with a rule or caliper in frame, or a dimensioned sketch. We measure what can be measured, list what is still undefined, and confirm it with you before production.
Need a Similar Part?
Most enquiries that start on a page like this are not an order for Sheep Gate with Hinges — they are a search for a factory that can make something like it. Send us your drawing, 3D model or sample and we will review the manufacturing process and the quotation requirements, then come back with a process plan, a price and a lead time.
We work from 2D drawings, STEP / DWG / DXF / PDF files, or a physical sample if that is all you have.
No complete drawings yet? Describe the part, send photos or a sketch, or send a sample — we can start from there. Discuss your project.
Trade Terms and Delivery
We quote under the standard Incoterms your logistics team already works with, and build the packing and documentation around the one you choose.
- EXW — you collect from our Ningbo facility and run export clearance through your own forwarder.
- FOB Ningbo — we deliver to the vessel at Ningbo port and handle export clearance.
- CIF — we cover carriage and insurance to your named destination port.
- DDP — we handle carriage, insurance, import clearance and duties through to your door.
Send your destination country, target delivery date and preferred trade term together with the drawing. Request a quotation.
Quotation Time
We quote from your drawings. How long that takes depends on what the part asks for:
- Simple parts — quoted within 24 hours. Laser-cut blanks and bent components, supplied with complete 2D or 3D drawings. Mon–Fri, GMT+8.
- Complex assemblies — quoted after the drawing review. Payment kiosks, multi-part welded frames, enclosures with purchased hardware, or anything needing a coating or assembly trial. We confirm a quotation date once the scope is clear.
Production lead time is quoted separately, after drawing review and process confirmation. Send your drawings.
What stands behind this quotation
- Manufacturing since 20162,500 m² Ningbo plant — 3 laser cutting machines (including newer TRUMPF), 4 CNC press brakes and 10 welding stations.
- Shipped to more than 30 export marketsEnclosures, cabinets and formed parts supplied to OEM buyers across Europe, North America and Asia.
- 123 documented product casesMedical device housings, HVAC and heat pump enclosures, agricultural and livestock equipment, industrial hydraulics, material handling trolleys and EV charging cabinets.
- Factory evidence you can checkTUV Rheinland audit reference MIC-ASI243729 and Bureau Veritas reference MIC-ASR263630 available for buyer review under NDA.
Before you send drawings: an NDA is signed on request · first-article inspection is carried out before a batch continues · pricing is staged from prototype quantity to repeat volume · pre-shipment photos and packing records are prepared when the project needs them.