Quality Standards of Ball-Bearing Drawer Slides

As a key part in home furniture application, drawer slides are widely used to enable drawer units to move smoothly. There are many types of drawer slides, such as roller slides, ball-bearing slides, wooden slides, etc. And according to the different mounting methods, drawer slides can further divided into side mount drawer slides, under mount drawers slides and center mount drawer slides.

Ball-bearing drawer slides are one of the most popular types in the market for their greater flexibility and longer service life. No matter you are a furniture hardware wholesaler or the buyer who are doing your own project, learning the basics of drawer slides is of great importance. Here’s a brief introduction about the quality standards of ball-bearing drawer slides. You’ll learn how to choose the best drawer slides based on its appearance, sizes, weights, and functions.

Parts of Ball-Bearing Drawer Slides

A ball-bearing drawer slide mainly consists of the cabinet member, intermediate member, and the drawer member. While the cabinet member should attach to the cabinet, the drawer member should be mounted to the drawer. The three-section structure allows the drawer to be pull out to the greatest extend with the fully extended slides. The drawer slides with ball bearings are smoother, quieter, and more durable.

Quality Control Standards of Drawer Slides

– Appearance

1. Plating quality

• The finish should pass the 12-hour neutral salt spray test (5%).  (Random inspection)
• Sealed blue zinc with a surface free from obvious colour differences, blackened and yellowish marks and rusting.
• Electroscopic painted finish does not scratch and the metal is not exposed.

2. No obvious cracking and wrinkling at the bending and forming of the slide body.
3. No warping, tilting (high and low sides) or deformation of the inner member.
4. The lubricant in the ball groove can not be dried up or run out. The oil should be enough to keep the slides running smoothly.
5. The rubber bumper and bolt should be vertical (90±1°) without any breaks. When the slide is pull out until fully extended and keeps static, the end of the inner member should not run through the bumper.

– Size and Weight

Weight	10-12 inch: N±2g; 14 inch: N±1.5g; L≥16 inch: N±1g
Actual Length	10’’, 12’’, 14’’, 16’’, 18’’, 20’’, 22’’, 24’’ : N±2mm
Extended Length	L＜450mm: N±1.2mm; L≥450mm: N±2.5mm
Width	44-45.5mm
Diameter of Ball	4.7mm
Steel Ball Hardness	111

– Function

1. The slide should run smoothly and quietly without obvious noise, jamming, and scratches. The intermediate member and drawer member should work well together.

Test method: hold and tilt the slide at 45° to see whether the inner member and the drawer member of the slide moves synchronously and smoothly at a consistent speed. There should not be obvious pause in the movement of the slide.

2. The lever disconnect should be in good condition with no feeling of sinking.

Test method: pull the lever disconnect by hand to see whether the inner member can be easily taken out. It should be easy to assembly with a clear snapping sound when putting the disconnect back into the inner member. Place the inner member horizontally, pat the body, then ensure that there is no obvious gap between the lever disconnect and bottom plane of the slide.

3. The strength of the bumper in the intermediate member is good without chipping or serious damage.

Test method: after pulling the slide 4-6 times quickly by hand, observe the bumper.

4. The locking strength is within the standard (1.0-1.2KG for the length of 600 or below, 1.5-2.0KG for the length of 600 or more). The slide should perform the locking featurewell.

Test method: keep the slide stand with the lock mouth on. Then shake the slide three times to see whether the rail slips out.

5. There is no obvious shaking of the inner member. The steel balls should be held in the ball frame without popping out.

Test method: hold the slide, and twist it hard left and right.

6. There is no obvious shaking of the inner member. The steel balls should be held in the framewell without popping out.

Test method: hold the slide, and twist it hard left and right.

7. The damping mechanism should enable to the drawer to be closed softly and completely in 2 seconds. The damper is soundless and well hooked.

Why Choose Venace?

Founded in 2011, Venace is a professional custom furniture hardware and household products supplier from China. With outstanding innovation capacity and, we provide customized service to our customers. Our production base covers an area of over 80,000 square meters, integrating R&D, OEM manufacturing, and packaging. More than 10 automated production lines ensure our strong production capacity. We carry out a strict quality control with ISO 9001 certification.

If you are looking for a reliable drawer slides supplier, contact us now! We can offer you competitive prices, premium quality, fast delivery, flexible production and strong marketing support.