Technical Info
This page will describe some of the materials and products we use.
N&N Cabinets manufactures frameless cabinets. This type of construction is typical in commercial applications. A typical cabinet can be broken down into three categories the core material, finishes and hardware.
The core material makes up the main structural part of the cabinet. We use 3/4" thick core material for all of our cabinets. The core material can be industrial particle board, plywood or MDF. The core material chosen typically has a finish on one or both sides when it comes from the manufacture. In some applications the core will be finished in the shop to meet certain job requirements.
In commercial cabinets the finish is typically high pressure laminate. Sometimes laminate is referred to as plastic laminate and some of the trade names include Formica, Wilsonart, Pionite, Nevarmar, etc... The laminate finish is applied the core material during different phases of the manufacturing process. It is applied to the core material with a compatible bonding adhesive. The most common adhesive is contact cement but PVA glue is also used in the industry. There are three basic types of laminate general purpose also known as standard grade (HGS, 1.22mm thickness), post forming grade (HGP, 1.0mm thickness) and vertical surface grade (VGP, .07mm thickness). Both the general purpose and post forming grade are used on the work surface. Whereas the vertical grade is used on the vertical face or secondary parts such as shelves. The laminate comes in 100's of colors and patterns to choose from. The client typically chooses the finish from samples provided by the manufacture.
Hardware consists of hinges, drawer slides, shelf pins, door and drawer pulls, etc… First is will start with hinges. Hinges come in many types but in frameless cabinet construction the most commonly used is the concealed type. In some applications an institutional hinge is used. Institutional hinges look like a typical butt hinge on a door. They will allow the door to swing open 180 degrees and have five knuckles which make them vary durable. Unlike concealed hinges that have built in springs to keep the door closed an institutional hinge needs a door catch to hold the door closed such as a magnet. Drawers have a slide to guide them while opening and closing the drawer. It also makes it easier to open and close. There are two typical types of drawer boxes currently used in the commercial market. The traditional drawer box made of wood on four sides and a bottom and a euro box made of formed steel which makeup the sides of the box. I will go into more details later. Shelf pins come in many shapes and sizes. The main function of the shelf pin is to utilize the 32mm hole system for adjustability and support of the shelf. The door and drawer pulls come in 1000’s of styles and finishes. The most widely use pull on commercial cabinets is the wire pull. It is 3/8” diameter and comes in 3”, 3-½”, 96mm and 4” centers. The two most used finishes are chrome and dull.
I will be updating this page with more information and some diagrams in the future. If you have any technical questions please give us a call.