Costs of production, assembly, finishing and installation of modern equipment are largely time-dependent because of the high cost of labour involved relative to component costs. This has led to a continuing trend where component costs have been subject to major cost down programs, whereas overhead and labour rates have increased. Consequently, costs for attaching items such as hinges to an enclosure door and frame can often far outweigh the cost of the hinge itself.
Right from the very start EMKA have offered UK engineers a simple assembly route drawn from the experiences of their product designers in the cabinet/accessories industry. This meant that features such as single fixing and reduced operations were inbuilt from conception.
A major advance has been the development of a ¼ turn lock mechanism – modular in its components so that a huge range of variants are possible – ready assembled and able to be inserted through the EMKA standard hole design, then fitted with just a single back nut – giving a one-step fix.
The same principle is carried through to SwingHandles – developed for safety they require only one or two mounting holes and often include a rod locking control mechanism as an integral part of that fixing.
An especially successful development is the EMKA 1110 program of hinges – a slick design which cuts assembly time close to zero with significant cost savings per cabinet. Not only that but the fabrication process too is much reduced, needing only two ten millimetre holes punched in the door and in the enclosure prior to painting. Once paint is dry, hinge lugs placed though the holes accept a glass-reinforced nylon pin that clamps the hinge in place. Careful geometric design ensures that the pins/lugs are self-aligning and compensate for various metal gauges while their self-tightening action provides a solid positive fixing.
Analysis has shown that labour costs of installation for enclosure accessories can indeed far outweigh the cost of components themselves. Consequently, EMKA’s policy of pre-assembly supply, reducing operations like gluing and mitering of gasket, and the integration of lock/control mechanisms into a single housing can save manufacturers money. Indeed, quite significant sums may be saved, often up to 2 or 3 times the cost of the accessory/component itself.
Similar patterns develop as we look at locks, gasketing or glazed doors where labour costs continue to rise on an hourly basis, further augmented by ever-increasing overhead costs. Component costs however remain fairly static, so there is a continual drive to de-skill installation and reduce time required.
Contact us to discuss how we can save you money by design.
