As the economy improves and consumer spending rises, the UK furniture and joinery industry is poised for steady growth. British castor manufacturer Kenrick has however issued a warning for specifiers to always be aware of the importance of the quality of furniture components.
Steve Jones, Kenrick’s managing director, says: “There can be an enormous variance in the quality of furniture components. With castors, for instance, it may not be immediately evident if they will perform without problems like bending, breaking or damaging flooring. Sadly, these issues are becoming more common and they affect the integrity of the furniture. Quality, affordability and longevity are important factors to consider, so we’re urging specifiers to be aware of potentially inferior products and to seek out genuine castors, which have passed stringent industry testing.”
The range of furniture castors from Kenrick is one of the biggest collections of UK manufactured castors. They have all been tested to British standards and designed for a long and trouble-free service life.
The trademarked range includes Kenrick’s Orbit castors and Shepherd castors, which Kenrick has been manufacturing in the Midlands for 70 years. Both the Orbit and Shepherd castors have passed the rigorous testing under BS EN 12527 and BS EN 12528. The wheels comfortably stood up to a 5kg load being dropped on them 10 times from a 300mm height as well as a vertical static load of 80kg for 24 hours.
The die-cast zinc Shepherd castor is the best of its class, providing up to a 300kg load per set of four. It comes in four standard fixings – peg and socket, 38 x 38mm square plate, round plate and M8/M10 fitting. It is also available with an anti-static rubber wheel for use on smooth floor surfaces. The castor can be supplied in any RAL paint colour and in a polished gold, nickel, brass or bronze plated finish as standard.
Manufactured from die-cast zinc, the Orbit range of 50mm diameter castors is durable and high performance, providing a 230kg load per set of four. The castor comes in five standard fixings – grip neck peg and socket, cast socket with thorn pin, 32 x 32mm square plate, 32mm round plate and M8/M10 fitting. The castor is available in black, beige, grey and brown as standard colour options and any RAL paint colour.
Steve adds: “Although the castor is an integral part of the furniture, we believe that it should be barely noticeable in service. We want people to fit it and forget it and for the castor to quietly do its job. Both the Orbit and Shepherd castors are used widely throughout the UK and Europe and we know that many have been in service for several decades, which is absolute testimony to the quality and durability of the product.”
Kenrick is committed to best practice and has a team of specialists on hand to help specifiers choose the most appropriate products to suit individual applications.