In today’s market, consumers of domestic furniture and appliances have become increasingly discerning and demanding. This shift has sparked a robust trend towards ‘engineered’ construction in furniture and appliances. Manufacturers are now leveraging the latest technological advancements to enhance their products’ aesthetic appeal and functional convenience. Titus, a globally recognised leader in furniture hardware development and supply, is at the forefront of this movement.
Titus places a strong emphasis on research and development, with a laser focus on addressing the real-world needs of both its customers and end-users. As part of its strategic vision to expand into wider and complementary markets, Titus acquired the Slidix range and its associated intellectual property. This acquisition has proven fruitful, with one of the most recent outcomes being the Slidix range of soft-close sliding door damper mechanisms.
The Titus hydraulic damper, renowned for its performance and versatility, forms the core of all products in the Slidix range. This advanced hydraulic damping technology offers a fully controllable damping curve, allowing users to define forces and their distribution with precision across the entire range of the damping action. This capability enables accurate fine-tuning of the damper’s performance to match the exact requirements of each application. The dampers can be easily configured to provide flat, progressive, multistage, or final release damping, offering unparalleled flexibility to manufacturers.
Soft-close technology has revolutionised user expectations for interactions with furniture, doors, and white goods in residential settings. Mere functionality is no longer sufficient; users now demand convenience and a touch of luxury. By incorporating Slidix products, manufacturers can efficiently and cost-effectively meet these expectations. The soft-close sliding door damper mechanisms effectively eliminate noisy slamming doors and drawers, offering a smooth, controlled motion that elevates the product’s perceived quality.
The Slidix range offers damping mechanisms with strokes of 50 mm or 100 mm, suitable for use on a wide range of materials including wood, glass, hollowcore, and plastics. The applicable weight range spans from 5 kg to 120 kg, accommodating diverse design requirements. Users can select from various sizes and three damping arrangements: damping from inside out, damping from outside in, or damping in both directions. These choices are influenced by factors such as the mounting location of the Slidix mechanism, space limitations, closing speed, weight, and the level of friction. Regardless of the configuration, all Slidix solutions feature compact construction that occupies minimal space, making them easy to integrate without compromising the aesthetic appeal of the product.
The versatility of Slidix products allows them to enhance the performance and end-user appeal of a broad spectrum of applications, including:
- Furniture, including wardrobes, three-door wall partitions, walk-in closets, drawers, two-way runners in draw cabinets and storage systems with pull-out units
- Interior sliding doors, including pocket doors, barn doors and wall partitions
- Exterior sliding doors, plus sliding windows for balconies and summer houses
- Bathrooms, including shower screens
- Appliances and white goods, including refrigerators, wine coolers and under-counter refrigerator/coolers
In all these applications, Slidix damping mechanisms offer significant benefits. They provide reliable damping at any speed while eliminating rebounce, regardless of door weight and material. The mechanisms ensure full door closure even at minimum speed, complementing this reliable closing action with effortless, smooth opening and a low pull-open force that requires minimal user effort.
The flexibility of Slidix damping mechanisms and their modular construction allow for precise matching to specific application requirements. The damping curve can be adjusted to meet particular needs, and multiple options are also available for spring and damper force. This adaptability extends to mounting, making it easy for users to incorporate the mechanisms into existing designs. The consistent performance over a wide temperature range is particularly valuable in appliance-related and outdoor applications.
A standout product in the Slidix range is the innovative Slidix Centro, which provides soft opening, closing, and centring of middle sliding doors. Its integrated dampers ensure reliable soft closing in both directions with minimal rebounce. Like all Slidix products, it can be fine-tuned to meet specific application requirements and features compact construction that minimises impact on product design and aesthetics. Suitable for doors weighing 10 kg to 40 kg, the Slidix Centro has a dedicated actuator that works in conjunction with other Slidix mechanisms to offer a complete set of soft closing systems for large wardrobes. It can be easily added to any two-way runner system, such as those in kitchen island drawer cabinets and double-sided pull-outs in shop displays.
The Slidix range also includes:
- Slidix II for general applications with drawers and sliding doors
- Slidix TA for heavy sliding doors
- Slidix TB, a 100 mm stroke product for wardrobes with sliding doors
- Slidix TC, a 50 mm stroke product for wardrobes with sliding doors
- Slidix TE for sliding and shower doors
- Slidix TF for interior sliding door applications
The newest addition to the range is a push-to-open solution that combines soft closing and touch opening in the same mechanism. It’s currently the only system available that combines these functions in a single unit, making it ideal for use with wall pocket sliding doors.
The Slidix range from Titus represents a comprehensive solution for manufacturers looking to elevate their sliding door and drawer systems. By offering a perfect blend of functionality, adaptability, and user comfort, Slidix products enable manufacturers to create furniture and appliances that meet and exceed the expectations of today’s demanding consumers. As the trend towards more engineered, high-quality home products continues to grow, incorporating Slidix solutions into product designs presents a clear opportunity for manufacturers to position themselves at the forefront of this evolution in domestic furniture and appliances.
