Imagine a world without sturdy, metal handles. How would you open a cabinet drawer in your office? What if you slipped in the shower and there was no grab bar? How would you open your microwave or an oven door if there were no handles? What would you grab onto if the elevator stopped suddenly?… Read More
Thirty years ago, a bath rack was just a bath rack. Thanks to a booming economy, consumers have begun demanding more aesthetically-integrated designs with high-end materials. Inexpensive, “practical” metals are giving way to titanium alloys with brass finishes. Like the kitchen, the bath is evolving into new design opportunities for quality, form, and authenticity. New… Read More
It’s no secret that the kitchen is the centerpiece of the modern home. It’s the primary part of the house that a seller renovates before placing their home on the market to get the best asking price. It is the also the one area that people constantly remodel to bring up to date, to provide… Read More
What do you look for in an ideal partner? A manufacturer with a bevy of processes at their disposal? What about a company that can work with OEMs and take parts — such as appliance and automotive handles — from concept to reality in a cost-effective manner? When sourcing the right handles manufacturing partner, versatility… Read More
Most consumer tool chests have pull-type tool chest handles. Of course, the main purpose of these handles is to facilitate carrying and opening of the tool chest, but these handles play even more important roles than may first be perceived. In many cases, tool chest handles must support the entire weight of the tools inside.… Read More
Though most typically associate steel handles with hand tools, controls, and certain types of doors, anything that can be used to pick up an object with the hand is essentially a type of handle. Yes, handles are everywhere, and one of the best materials one can use to fabricate them is steel, due to its… Read More
Today, tubular hydroforming is not only an accepted way to produce metal appliance handles, it is often the preferred method. There are several reasons this simply make sense. For one, there are the production considerations: Hydroforming uses less material, produces parts that are lighter weight, and still maintains the stiffness and strength yielded by other, more traditional ways… Read More
As with any product development process, moving an appliance handle design from concept to production requires compromises. No matter how elegant the idea, if a handle design can't be manufactured at an acceptable cost, it's never going to see the showroom floor. Designers hate seeing their concepts altered as they make their way to the… Read More
Choosing the right finishing option for a stainless steel handle is a critical decision. It can make or break the end result — especially in a design era when stainless steel is one of the most popular material choices requested of handles manufacturers. Contrary to popular opinion, "stainless steel" is not a singular type of material with… Read More
By any count, there are over 150 grades of stainless steel available. Appliance stainless steel handle manufacturers typically use just four of these many options: 304, 439, 441, and 201 grade stainless. Below we outline the defining characteristics of each grade and discuss why and when stainless steel handle manufacturers choose one over the other.… Read More
