How to Select a Slide Q & A
Whether perusing the catalog or using our handy Slide Selector, asking the following questions will help filter products into a manageable number of choices..
Slides Guide
Selecting a Slide? What to look for!
Just in case you don’t live and breathe slide products, the following information will help you gain a better understanding of how slides work, their attributes and what to consider in your process.
Several factors come into play when designing and building something with movement. We’ve put together some valuable information to consider when selecting the perfect Accuride slides for your projects:
- How wide is your drawer?
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Whether the slides are intended to hold a drawer, door, component, or chassis, the width of the pull-out unit has a large effect on performance. If the slide does not have the strength and load capacity that corresponds to the width, it can cause racking or side-to-side movement. Excessive racking causes instability and can result in drawer failure.
Take note of the maximum recommended drawer widths for the slide products you are considering. When widths are 24" or greater, adding stability by using a slide with a larger cross section and a higher load rating is often the best solution.
- How heavy are the contents?
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Will the drawer hold dish towels or bricks? Equipment or paper medical gowns? As with drawer width, exceeding the established load rating may cause the drawer to fail. Be sure to include the weight of the drawer into the total anticipated weight the slides will carry. Accuride specifies a maximum load based on specific conditions, such as 18-inch slides mounted on a 16-inch-wide drawer. Refer to the product technical sheet to determine how load capacity is affected if your application calls for a drawer that is deeper or wider than the tested load conditions. Always test the slide in the intended application if it differs from the typical usage for the product.
- Where and how will the drawer be used?
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The slide selected for a residential kitchen drawer will be different than a slide chosen for an identically sized drawer in a toolbox. In commercial, institutional, or industrial environments, drawers encounter greater use--and abuse. Think about your intended application and the environment. You will want to select a more robust slide to offset conditions that are more rigorous.
- What is the expected usage and lifetime of the product?
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Will use be infrequent and require a low cycle count or will the application require greater durability with usage reaching 50,000 to 75,000 cycles—or more? Review the testing data on the product technical sheet to determine if it is appropriate for your application. If you are having trouble with slide selection, contact Technical Support for assistance. If you can't find an off-the-shelf solution that meets your specifications, don’t rule out custom options. For larger projects, we offer customized options such as additional slide lengths, varied hole patterns, materials, finishes, and mounting brackets to help meet the specific needs of your project.
Special Features
Accuride offers a host of special features that improve design and functionality in your application.
- Touch-Release
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Just a slight push inward and the slide latch releases, propelling the drawer open 2.
3832TR, 3832HDTR
- Easy-Close
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Bring drawers to a smooth, gentle close every time with our patented Easy-Close feature.
3832EC, 3160EC, 3135EC and 115RC
- Self Closing
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Accuride Self-Close ensures your application returns to the closed position and remains there until its next use.
3832SC and 3832EHDSC
- Detent-Out
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The feature holds drawers and pull-out surfaces in an extended position, making it the ideal solution for pull-out work surfaces in residential or commercial environments.
3832DO, 2109, Keyboard Tray Systems
- Lock-in/Lock-Out
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Equipped with a front latch release, the lock-in/lock-out is ideal for securing drawers, trays, and panels that in an extended position.
9308E
- Lock-Out
Slide Testing
Testing varies based on market applications. Performance can be affected by factors unique to a specific application, so testing slides in the intended application is recommended. See below for specific industry test details.
Cabinet Hardware Product Testing
Slides for wood and furniture applications are tested in accordance with the guidelines of applicable ANSI/BIFMA specifications. Certain models have been BHMA certified or WI approved. In most cases, hardware alone cannot be rated; the testing standards pertain to the end product. Our goal is to provide products that, when combined with the purchaser's product, deliver a system that meets the governing standard.
- Unless otherwise stated, Accuride slides are rated for the dynamic (cycled) load that an 18" pair of slides will carry without failure. This load rating decreases proportionally beyond the 18" length.
- In the dynamic test, the center of gravity of the load is balanced between and at the midpoint of the drawer members.
- Static (resting) load testing is based on placing 2 times the maximum permissible load in a fully extended drawer for 24 hours. The slides are measured for deflection at 0 hours and again at 24 hours.
- In all cases, the static load capacity of each model is at least twice the dynamic load rating, providing at minimum, a 100% static safety factor, even when the slide is loaded to its maximum rating.
Standard test criteria for box, file, and desk drawers (drawers narrower than deep):
50,000 dynamic cycle tests.
Standard test criteria for lateral file drawers (drawers wider than deep):
A total of 75,000 dynamic cycle tests: 55,000 cycles from the center of the drawer and 10,000 cycles from each side.
Industrial & Electromechanical Product Testing Standard Test Criteria/Basis of Load Rating
- The maximum load rating is based on a pair of side-mounted slides.
- The center of gravity of the load is centered between and at the midpoint of the drawer/chassis members.
- Unless otherwise stated, testing is based on 18" slides mounted on a 16" wide drawer. This load rating decreases proportionally beyond the 18" length.
- Dynamic tests are based on 10,000-cycles and include a 100% static safety factor.
- Static (resting) load testing is based on placing 2 times the maximum permissible load in a fully extended drawer for 24 hours. The slides are measured for deflection at 0 hours and again at 24 hours.