We cannot imagine our life without furniture. And this is not surprising. Without it, it is impossible to relax, cook, eat. Office furniture is designed to simplify the life of office workers.
An integral part of any furniture are sliding elements that cannot be imagined without guides. Today, manufacturers use several types of guides, the most common of which are roller and ball.
History
Guides seem at first glance a fairly simple mechanism. They have a very interesting story. The ancestors of the guides can be called wooden and plastic bars, which were previously used in furniture as a fastener. After the bars began to use slide guides. The latter also did not exist for a long time, because they emitted an unpleasant creak during operation. In the case of jamming, a lot of effort had to be made to move the structure from its place. All these problems were solved when the ball and roller guides appeared in the furniture. What is their feature?
Roller guides
Back in the 90s, roller guides appeared. At that time, furniture with such a mechanism testified to the viability of the owners. And not surprising, because their cost was very high. At that time, technology developed rapidly, this contributed to the mass production of roller guides. The cost of furniture with this mechanism decreased, it began to be used everywhere. Today, this type of guide is used in almost every type of furniture.
Installation of roller guides is quite simple. The advantage is a bargain price. The disadvantage is the possibility of overturning the drawer when extending the entire length. After all, the roller mechanism is not equipped with a counterweight or brake system.
Ball guides
The main competitor of roller guides is a ball guide. They have a more complex design and operating principle. To move the box in this mechanism, balls are used, not wheels. They are arranged in several rows. Ball guides, like roller guides, move silently and smoothly. But their design is more complex, which ensures good stability of the box and evenly distributes the entire load on its surface.
The design of the ball mechanism includes a brake system and a counterweight. This allows the consumer not to worry about the length of the drawer and the load that is created on it.
The presence of several rows of balls allows you to save some time on furniture repair. Indeed, if suddenly one ball breaks, then all the rest will be able to evenly distribute the weight over the remaining number. Due to this, ball guides of full extension have a long service life. You can buy ball guides wholesale and retail here .
Features of ball guides
The advantages listed above justify the high cost of construction. In addition, its installation also has many features. And you should periodically lubricate the balls and adjust the retractable elements. Ball guides for furniture are:
They have significant differences. Four-row ball guides of full extension have a longer service life compared to two-row ones. Indeed, thanks to its features, this design is able to withstand heavy loads.
More common is a double-row ball guide. Their cost is much less than the price of four-row. They are able to withstand loads of up to 35 kg.
The design of ball guides includes metal balls arranged in two rows. They move uniformly with respect to each other. Guides can have both partial and full extension.
Full extension of the drawer contributes to its opening to the full depth. This is very convenient, because you can easily access all the content. Ball guides with a closer are characterized by great strength, which depends on the grade of steel thickness.
The benefits of ball guides
The advantages of this design are many.
- They are reliable. This means that for a long time you do not have to think about repair.
- The drawer extends smoothly, silently.
- They are able to withstand heavy loads.
- You can install various modifications. The minimum length is 1.5 cm.
Disadvantages of ball guides
Of course, the ideal mechanism does not exist. Therefore, even ball guides have some disadvantages:
- High cost (some types exceed roller three times).
- Many modifications are not equipped with a self-closing mechanism.
- If these drawers do not provide for full extension, then they cannot be completely removed from the cabinet without dismantling the guides.
- Special requirements for parallelism of the side walls during installation.
- A small color range.
Using
A ball guide is often used in special-purpose furniture. This is ideal for bathrooms where small, small cabinets are used. Furniture with such guides is often purchased for hospitals and bedrooms, recording studios, etc.
Installing ball guides is a rather complicated process that requires accuracy and accuracy. Therefore, it is better to use the services of professionals.
Such guides are used in furniture, in which drawers are often pulled out. This is ideal for lockers with archived data in offices or for shelves with tools. The load on the boxes directly depends on the width of the guides.
Such furniture is very convenient in small kitchens. You can install a microwave or TV on small rails and close them in a cupboard.
Ball rail guides are available in several colors: black, pure and yellow zinc, cold rolled steel, etc. Balls are made of nylon or steel. Plastic dividers are able to absorb sound.