We cannot imagine our life without furniture. And this is not surprising. Without it, it is impossible to relax, cook food, eat. Office furniture is designed to make life as easy as possible for office workers.
An integral part of any furniture are retractable 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 to be a fairly simple mechanism. They have a very interesting history. The progenitors of the guides can be called wooden and plastic bars, which were previously used in furniture as fasteners. After the bars, skid guides began to be used. 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 guide appeared in furniture. What is their speci alty?
Roller guides
Back in the 90s, roller guides appeared. At thattime, furniture with such a mechanism testified to the solvency of the owners. And it is not surprising, because their cost was very high. At that time, technology was developing rapidly, this contributed to the mass production of roller guides. The cost of furniture with this mechanism has decreased, it began to be used everywhere. To date, this type of guide is used in almost every type of furniture.
Installation of roller guides is quite simple. The advantage is the favorable cost. The disadvantage is the possibility of overturning the box when extended to its full length. After all, the roller mechanism is not equipped with a counterweight or brake system.
Ball guides
The main competitor of roller guides is the ball guide. They have a more complex design and principle of operation. To move the box in this mechanism, balls are used, not wheels. They are located 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 extension and the load that is created on it.
The presence of several rows of balls allows you to save some time on furniture repair. After all, if suddenly one ball breaks, then all the others will be able to uniformlydistribute the weight over the remaining number of them. Thanks to this, full extension ball guides have a long service life. You can buy wholesale and retail ball guides here moscow-furnitura.ru.
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:
- two-row;
- four-row.
They have significant differences. Four-row full extension ball runners have a longer service life than double-row runners. Indeed, due to its features, this design is able to withstand heavy loads.
The more common is the double-row ball guide. Their cost is much less than the price of four-row ones. They are able to withstand loads up to 35 kg.
The design of ball guides includes metal balls arranged in two rows. They move uniformly with respect to each other. The rails can be either partial or 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. Closer ball guides are very durable, which depends on the grade of steel thickness.
Advantages of ballguides
This design has a lot of advantages.
- They are reliable. This means that for a long time you will not have to think about repairs.
- The drawer pulls out smoothly, silently.
- They are able to withstand heavy loads.
- Various modifications can be installed. The minimum length is 1.5cm.
Disadvantages of ball guides
Of course, there is no perfect mechanism. Therefore, even ball guides have some disadvantages:
- High cost (some types are three times higher than roller ones).
- Many modifications are not equipped with a self-closing mechanism.
- If these drawers do not have a full extension, then they cannot be completely removed from the cabinet without dismantling the rails.
- Special installation requirements for sidewall parallelism.
- Small color range.
Use
The ball guide is often used in special purpose furniture. This is ideal for bathrooms where small cabinets of small length are used. Furniture with such rails is often purchased for hospitals and bedrooms, recording studios, etc.
Installation of ball guides is a rather complicated process that requires accuracy and precision. Therefore, it is better to use the services of professionals.
Suchguides are used in furniture in which drawers are often put forward. It is ideal for filing cabinets in offices or tool shelves. The load on the boxes directly depends on the width of the rails.
Such furniture is very convenient in small kitchens. You can install a microwave oven or TV on small rails and close them in a cabinet.
Ball drawer guides are available in several colors: black, pure and yellow zinc, cold rolled steel, etc. Balls are made of nylon or steel. Plastic spacers can absorb sound.
