Living hinge

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A living hinge on the lid of a Tic Tacs box
A living hinge on the lid of a Tic Tacs box

A living hinge is a hinge or flexure bearing with no moving parts. It is generally a thin section of the material that bends to allow movement. The lack of any friction and very little wear in such a hinge makes it essential in the design of MEMS, and the ease of manufacturing and assembly from the reduced part count makes them quite common in disposable packaging. Large-scale living hinges are most often made from polypropylene due to its excellent fatigue resistance.