Drawers, doors and lifting systems; a study into the real usage of kitchens

FIRA & Blum Anniversary Award

Sue CalverFIRA Project Manager

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Please visit us in Hall 18 Stand N81

7 © Julius Blum GmbH

In 2009 Blum UK, who supply fittings systems to the furniture and kitchen industries, won the

FIRA 60th Anniversary Design and Innovation Competition



Project Outcome:• The FIRA funded study for Blum looked into how real-life

kitchens are used and the impact this has on the design, manufacture and installation of furniture fittings.

• The project aimed to review data relating to the usage of drawers, doors and lifting systems within real kitchens.

• The study compares how kitchens within the UK are used in comparison to kitchen usage in Europe – particularly Austria.

• The project will review concrete data relating to the real use of Kitchens in real households.



Observing consumer useAs competition winners, Blum was

awarded a £20,000 prize fund,

The winning application was to investigate the actual use of kitchens within the UK and to compare them with usage in Europe by:

• Observing consumer use in the market to create a detailed overview of the installation conditions products encounter in practice, and the strains they have to cope with.

• For over 30 years Blum have been observing kitchen environments and have accumulated data from the trials



Observing consumer use

FIRA & Blum Anniversary Award project will form an extension of a worldwide project that Blum has been operating for the last 30 years, and involves the monitoring of a broad selection of kitchens over a long term period, in this case a minimum of three years. The monitoring involves recording the layout of the kitchens, the number of times a drawer, door or lift mechanism is opened in “real use” and also the weight and types of stored contents..



FIRA & Blum Anniversary Award project aims:To establish a ‘real’ usage of drawers, doors and lift systems analysis for the UK Kitchen Furniture. To combine this data to the ongoing project that has been underway in Europe for 30 years.



AustriaSwitzerland

Lake of Constance

Germany

test

kitc

hen

Blum observe households in Vorarlberg,

Austria.



The Austrian project has provided a significant amount of data relating to:

•Loads applied to drawer and doors

•Cycles of doors, drawers and lift systems throughout an entire kitchen lifespan

•Changes in use over the years (i.e. moves towards full extension, changing storage options etc)

•The results of the data collected have always formed an integral part of Blum’s own quality standards.



Apart from counters the following information was recorded from the sample kitchens

• General view of the kitchen

•Length and height of doors and drawer fronts

•Weights of the drawers

•Stored Goods

•Type of hinges and drawer runners



Observing since 1982: 135 rooms, mostly Kitchensas per: 08 / 07

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

new 24 - - -

continious 48 3 - -

finished 73 7 4 4

Kitchen Bathroom Livingroom Bedroom



as per: 08 / 2007

Age of the kitchens

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

new 24

continous 18 14 16 - -

finished - - 11 29 25

0 - 3 years 4 - 5 years 6 - 10 years 11 - 15 years > 15 years



as per: 08 / 2007

Number of people living in householdsof continious observation (48 kitchen)

4

9 9

19

6

1

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

1 2 3 4 5 6

number of people

nu

mb

er

of

PO

M-k

itc

he

n (

co

nti

nio

us

)



The FIRA & Blum Anniversary Award extended this project to the UK

•FIRA and Blum located 20 individual households geographically spread and covering a wide range of kitchen types.

•Following training by Blum, FIRA’s technicians visited each of the research households and installed monitors and sensors to each kitchen (the identical equipment as used by the Blum project).

•These monitors and sensors are designed to store all relevant data.

•Thereafter, periodically, it would be necessary to revisit each household and record reading.

•These readings would then be ‘fed into’ the total project data and form a new part of the ongoing research



Observing consumer useKey task to be undertaken by:

Blum• Training of technicians• Supply of equipment• Location of relevant households/kitchens (JOINT task)

FIRA• Location of relevant households/kitchens (JOINT task)• Installation of monitors and sensors• Re-visit to take readings • Maintain records of data



We

obse

rve…

• Counters and sensors give us the respective information

• Constant examination allows the exact counting of use/movement of each individual element.

• Additionally visual changes and signs of failure during the product life time can be recorded

• Defects and mishandling of the product can be detected early, therefore creating the basis for improvement measures and new products



Observing consumer use• The first ‘re-visit’ took place six months after installation. This gave

us some concrete data that could be absorbed before the completion of the anniversary year.

• Thereafter FIRA revisited each site every 12 months on an ongoing basis.

• The project has been carried out over 3 years, and continue through until 2012

• Each year after FIRA have visited all the sample kitchens the accumulated data would be incorporated into the latest International data.

• This data would not only provide an insight into real use of functional components within UK kitchens but could be added to the pool of data compiled in Europe to date.


22

FIRA & Blum Anniversary Award, Kitchen Storage





















Kitchen drawers / ContentsProduct-Observation in the market

quantity of kitchen drawers

provision19%

utilities18%

pots14%

flatware14%

kitchenware8%

cutlery6%

textiles5%

bottles4%

garbage3%

other9%



(max, min, average)

286.408

35.886 29.893 26.615

0

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

350.000

400.000

450.000

garbage dishes food glasses

cycl

es q

uan

tity

Austrian - Hinge cycles by content


FIRA & Blum Anniversary Award(max, min, average)

286.408

35.886 29.893 26.615

0

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

350.000

400.000

450.000

garbage dishes food glasses

cycle

s q

uan

tity


(max, min, average)

176.672

102.008

44.499 37.05945.885

29.340 25.652 17.396 13.3100

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

350.000

garbag

e

cutle

ry

utensi

lsfo

od

bottles

pots

textil

es

applia

nces

dishes

nu

mb

er o

f cy

cles

Austrian - Drawer cycles by content


FIRA & Blum Anniversary Award(max, min, average)

176.672

102.008

44.499 37.05945.885

29.340 25.652 17.396 13.3100

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

350.000

nu

mb

er o

f cycle

s

Austrian - Drawer cycles by content


Austrian - Drawers WeightAverage weights according to the contents


Product-Observation in the Marketaverage drawer weights

15.6

9.7 8.9

13.4

17.115.2

9.0

12.4

19.4

12.6

28.0

14.8 15.1

27.4

21.4 21.4

16.7

23.7

19.7

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

Rubbish Cutlery Utensils Provision Bottles Pots Textiles Foodblenders etc

Crockery AV

dra

wer

wei

gh

t (k

g)

all draw ers

draw ers > 600 mm



FIRA & Blum Anniversary AwardProduct-Observation in the Market

average drawer weights

15.6

9.7 8.9

13.4

17.115.2

9.0

12.4

19.4

12.6

28.0

14.8 15.1

27.4

21.4 21.4

16.7

23.7

19.7

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

Rubbish Cutlery Utensils Provision Bottles Pots Textiles Foodblenders etc

Crockery AV

dra

wer

wei

gh

t (k

g)

all draw ers

draw ers > 600 mm


Along with the 30 and 50 kg load bearing options, TANDEMBOX plus BLUMOTION is now available with a 65 kg solution


The role of standards: BS 6222-2:2009• Domestic kitchen equipment. Fitted kitchen units,

peninsular units, island units and breakfast bars. Performance requirements and test methods

• Specifies performance requirements and test methods for the strength and durability of various types of kitchen units. Specifically, it covers domestic and residential fitted kitchen units, peninsular units, island units and breakfast bars


In Conclusion• Overall – the results have shown that the way that kitchens are being

used is evolving, with heavier items being kept in drawers, and lifting systems being used more and more.

• The study has led to the realisation that kitchen usage in the UK is different to usage in other parts of Europe. Therefore product developments need to take this in to consideration.

• Most importantly for FIRA, the study has highlighted that the current Standard for kitchen equipment (BS6222 part 2. Domestic kitchens equipment – structural strength) is in need of revision – particularly in terms of lifting systems and the weight of drawer contents. This is valuable information for when kitchen Standards are amended.

• The kitchens involved in the study will continue to be monitored for a number of years to come


Any Questions

Please visit us in Hall 18 Stand N81

Sue CalverFIRA Project Manager, [email protected]

Direct +44 (0)1438 777 620, Mobile 07535 681104www.fira.co.uk

http://www.fira.co.uk/