When it comes to choosing a drawer slide, there are a variety of factors to take into consideration. In addition to the ease of sliding and base material, how the slides are mounted is an important factor. This classification determines the amount of weight the drawer can hold, how easy the installation is and the length of extension. Here is a breakdown of 5 of the most popular types along with the features of each.
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Bottom-mount- These slides have two rails mounted on the bottom of the drawer (one on each side). The slides are hidden from sight, and leave the drawer sides without clutter. They are typically used in kitchens, bathrooms and other rooms where storage is a top priority. Since they can hold more weight, they are ideal for heavier loads, and are generally full extension drawers (or very close to full extension), allowing you to easily take the drawer out for cleaning or moving. This type of slide is very easy to install, making it a popular option among many homeowners. Blum drawer slides are popular for bottom-mount options.
Center-mount- These are installed under the center of the drawer and stretch from the front to the back of the drawer. They are invisible from the top and hold a light to medium weight (making them ideal for smaller drawers). You usually cannot fully remove the door with this type of mount. Typically old furniture was made with a center-mount drawer slide, so you may notice that on certain pieces of vintage furniture. The best part about center-mount drawer slides is that they are very easy to install.
Side-mount- Side-mount drawer slides are a very popular type of drawer slide that is used often in kitchens and bathrooms. In this type of slide, two rails are installed on both sides of the drawer. They are widely available in different lengths, materials and weights, so it's easy to find slides that are right for your home. These slides are very visible when drawers are open and slightly lessens the drawer width. They can be used to hold more weight than other types of slides, so they come in handy with larger loads.
European- European drawer slides are often used with frameless or face-frame cabinets since they are easy to mount. They have an "L"- shaped frame which mounts directly to the bottom of the drawer without any hassle. On this type of slide, the hinge is completely concealed from the outside, which offers a professional and more modern look. These are generally fairly inexpensive, making them a popular option for those remodeling their homes. Hettich drawer slides are popular for European epoxy options.
Ball-bearing- Ball-bearing drawer slides often replace the popular center-mount slides. The ball bearings allow for easy use with minimal disruption or noise. Some models even allow you to press on the sides of the slides to fully remove the drawer from the base, which allows for easy transportation when moving or just for drawer cleaning. Other models are self-closing.
Understanding the benefits of the different types of drawer slides is very important to the DIY-er. Aesthetics and load capacity are very important factors in the decision.
Any business is composed of many processes. All of those processes have direct or indirect impact to the main activity - serving the customers. Customers expect to receive product and/or service from their supplier that will satisfy their needs.
Usually, more than one company is competing for the same customer base. Eventually, the customer base is split based on chosen supplier. What is the reason for customer to choose one supplier out of many? All suppliers are competing to satisfy customer's needs by offering them a certain value. This value is represented as ratio between benefits and price. More benefits for less price gives greater value to the customer. So, the product/service needs either to have bigger benefit for the same price, or lower price for the same benefit, for some company to be chosen as a preferred supplier.
When we come to cost structure, that affects the value delivered, we find many process steps that increase, directly or indirectly, the price of the product. These activities can be value Drawer Slides Supplier adding or waste activities.
Value Adding Activities
Since customer appreciate greater value that he receives from his supplier, any activity that customer cares about is value adding. Any activity that improves the product appearance, functionality, durability, satisfaction and brand loyalty is value-adding activity.
Also, value-adding activity is any activity that changes the product itself. This can be in any step in raw materials manipulation, production, or adjustments and packing of the product.
Finally, any activity that is done properly from the first time can be considered as value adding. Obviously, failure to achieve activity from the first time does not add to the value of the product.
Waste Activities
Unfortunately, there are many waste activities that are waiting any company during their activities. Wastes are sometimes even difficult to detect, especially in case that proper structure of key business indicators is not implemented. There is a whole range of wastes that can generate in Supply Chain:
Overproduction - This Type of Waste can happen in case of greater production versus demand, or in case of inaccurate forecasting. In some cases overproduction can be justified, like pre-stocking prior to the main sales season.
Unnecessary Inventory - It is true that higher inventory is the protection from uncertainty of demand and from OOS, but too high inventory does not add value. From financial perspectives, high inventory level is capturing the working capital, that can be used for better purpose ( investment, interest, etc. )
Defects can slow down or stop production. Low productivity and scrap are increasing cost per unit produced.
Inappropriate processing due to inadequate technology or design can produce waste.
Waiting of item in the queue to be process does not add value to the customer.
Transport is an important part of operations, but unnecessarily movement of products is not adding value
The optimum price of the product is achieved by proper balancing of activities. Value adding activities should be optimized, while waste activities should be either reduced or eliminated.