Wider Drawers Require the Use of Heavy-Duty Slide Products

Santa Fe Springs, Calif. - Slide product manufacturer Accuride International says one of the more common questions the company receives pertains to slide selection for wide drawers. And that's no surprise, since cabinets with wider, deeper drawers are a trend that shows no signs of slowing. Deep and wide drawers have a strong appeal, offering plenty of room for bulky items, and more direct access to contents than fixed shelves, where items are often hidden from view. Accuride recommends cabinetmakers choose sliding hardware based on the anticipated drawer width. This ensures the slides will perform reliably for many years.

Wider Drawers Require the Use of Heavy-Duty Slide ProductsSources at Accuride advise that drawer width is especially important in situations where the drawer box is wider than it is deep. This construction puts more stress on the drawer and slides, causing halting movement, and racking (side-to-side) movement. Accuride slides designed for wider drawers have larger cross sections engineered to provide strength and support to minimize the tendency toward racking. These heavy-duty products are carefully tested to determine the maximum drawer width the slides will safely carry. Those test findings are published to allow cabinetmakers to choose the optimum slide model for the intended application.

Accuride offers several slide options designed for wider drawers, such as models 7950, 7957, 3640A, 9301 and others. These slide models support drawers up to 42-inches-wide and offer a range of load ratings from 200 to 400 pounds. The company cautions that the first criteria in slide selection should always be based on anticipated drawer width, even though the slide’s load rating may be greater than what is required.

Wide drawers were first incorporated into commercial and business office furniture for file storage in the form of lateral files, which provided greater access than vertical files. Today, this style of drawer has expanded into a variety of residential applications such as drawers in kitchens for pots, pans, and dishware; bath and bedrooms where towels, linens, toys or hobby supplies are kept; as well as garage cabinetry used to store tools, supplies, and equipment. Commercial applications include display and storage for retail establishments, food services and restaurants, industrial equipment, electronics, and of course, office files.

For additional information, visit the company’s website at http://www.accuride.com, where you may also locate your area’s authorized distributor of Accuride products.

Source: Accuride International

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