Comparison of equivalent fittings used in furniture in terms of quality requirements

Innovative and modern furniture trends, shaped in line with the needs of the users with the developing technology, have influenced the whole world, including Turkey. So much so that furniture manufacturers who want to raise their understanding of quality and aesthetics want to take advantage of every opportunity that can create added value on their products. One of these opportunities was to prefer the products of furniture accessory manufacturers of German or Austrian origin, which have a world-renowned brand and quality perception. Thus, the opportunity to create a competitive advantage in the national and/or international market and to do better quality work has arisen. The fact that the accessories are imported or domestic in furniture production also affects the quality of the work done. Based on the above narrative, in this study, some equivalent joining elements used by companies that have an important place in the Turkish furniture industry were compared in terms of quality requirements. While doing this, the physical properties and quality of the runner and hinge systems used in the furniture accessory industry and having similar properties were compared. While creating this comparison, the data of the runner and hinge systems of the three leading companies of the sector were collected and their technical features were examined. The products of these three companies, whose names have been changed with pseudonyms in accordance with the confidentiality agreement, are grouped under four different subheadings: traditional/modern runners and traditional/modern hinges. In addition, eight different comparison criteria were used to classify the qualities of the hinges: opening angle, cover thickness, cup distance, cup depth, depth adjustment range, overlap adjustment range, height adjustment range, quality certificate. Again, in order to classify the qualities of the runners, there are ten features: push-open feature, push-open feature with brake, full and partial opening feature, closing feature with brake, lateral adjustment, height adjustment, maximum usable wood thickness, drawer runner lengths, quality certificate, carrying capacity, mounting type. A different comparison criterion was used. In the study, the process of interpreting the models of the three big brands in a comparative way was shown on the charts, and the literature review and expert opinion method was also applied in order to make a holistic evaluation. Thus, in addition to having preliminary information about these products, consumers were given the opportunity to go beyond the aesthetic and basic functions of the products and see all their performance features from a wider perspective.