Creating a premium finish with quiet bathroom cabinets 

Black kitchens

Dark and moody kitchens are set to be big this year. Traditionally, bright, light tones are common in kitchens, but opting for a black kitchen is both a modern and stylish way to stay on trend in 2023.

For a bold and sophisticated kitchen, installing all black cabinetry results in a striking finish. Some people choose to go all out with black painted walls, but a black kitchen can also be paired with lighter painted walls to brighten up the space a little more. It’s also effective when paired with an on-trend shade like royal blue or forest green. Plants are another great addition for black kitchens. They help break up the colour scheme and add interesting new textures.

No matter how an all-black kitchen is styled, our TeraBlack range of hardware and damping is the perfect accompaniment. Created in response to the growing demand for dark cabinet hardware, our TeraBlack components are finished in non-reflective matt black, perfect for blending into black cabinetry for a consistent, stylish aesthetic. But they provide more than just a great aesthetic; the innovative hardware is highly resistant to wear and tear, has anti-corrosion protection, and is engineered for lasting strength.

Find out more about our black cabinet door hinges.

Hi Phil, how has 2022 been for Titus?

Uncertainty is out there, as the effects of the disruption of the Ukraine war reduce consumer optimism, and high inflation on energy costs all affect consumer spending. Raw materials, energy, sub-components, outsourcing, labour and freight costs all escalated significantly during 2021/22.

However, I’m proud to say that even in the face of these significant challenges, Titus has been able to grow the business in all markets.

What have been the highlights of 2022 for the business?

This year, we have added 40% to the group’s operational manufacturing area and invested in added capacity in all regions and in all products. These investments strengthen our position as market-leading developers and suppliers of high-volume precision-engineered furniture components, putting us in a fantastic position for the coming years.

Also, in 2022 Titus enjoyed continuing success of the T-type soft-close hinge and the TeraBlack, our matte-finish black furniture connectors. This consistent demand reaffirms the fact that our products deliver consistent quality and simple mounting for our customers, and has allowed us to invest back into the business.

What is damping?

Kitchen drawer cabinet ideas

Our totally integrated approach underpins everything that we stand for. From end to end, our integrated engineering puts the customer front and centre, always keeping them in mind to ensure we deliver an effective, problem-solving end result.

To do this, we combine our customer-led research and development with lean processes and state-of-the-art manufacturing operations. Each stage of the innovation and production process is strategically managed. From formalising new product concepts and developing prototypes to manufacturing and bringing to market components that solve real industry problems, every step is fully integrated.

Our integrated offering is made up of three main areas of expertise – product design, technologies and manufacturing operations. Each area supports and creates added value for the other two, and together they result in quality precision components. Here’s a little more about the key areas.

How do you make an office kitchen?

Kitchens lend themselves perfectly to home office space. In general, they’re one of the brightest parts of a home, have plenty of electrical outlets and offer a decent amount of storage so work equipment can be hidden when it’s not in use.

Keep reading for our kitchen office space ideas and tips.

How sliding wardrobe doors work

The core element of soft closing door systems is the multi-purpose hydraulic damper. Hydraulic damper technology provides soft and silent closing for doors and drawers, with a modular design guaranteeing reliable performance even with heavy doors.
Doors are mounted to runners, with the top track fitted to the ceiling or wardrobe top and the bottom track to the floor or bottom of the wardrobe. Sliding door dampers are compact and installed inside the top or bottom of the cabinet.

What is performance testing?

Performance testing is just one part of the thorough testing that each of our products undergoes. The procedure gives us a comprehensive picture of product performance in comparison to the product requirements.

For example, in cases of hinges, during performance testing we would look at:

• Hinge durability
• Hinge closing force
• Hinge sag

All these tests ensure the product is long-lasting and performs at its best possible levels. Our hinges are designed to outlive kitchen cabinets and perform consistently with every use.

How performance testing works

The complete testing procedure is defined in what we refer to as our ‘Product Specification Sheet’. This is a document prepared by our R&D (Research & Development) department which supports the main product documentation – a combination of 2D drawings and 3D models.

An important part of the Product Specification Sheet is the chapter on testing. This defines the clear criteria for safety and performance testing for the specific product, detailing what is and what is not acceptable. The testing criteria are prepared by R&D and approved by the individual product category Product Manager.  

There are three steps to the process:

1. All testing starts with samples preparation. These could be R&D samples from the proto shop or “regular” samples from the production floor.
   
2. The second step is to conduct the tests. As detailed above, each set of tests is dependent on the individual product and its requirements.
   
3. Finally, we prepare a report that we then use to analyse the results of the tests.

Meeting standards and guaranteeing quality

Our performance tests are based on a collection of criteria; company know-how (our own good and bad experiences), as well as national and international standards. The purpose of the test is to guarantee quality. We want to make sure we can supply our customers with safe and well-performing products that operate according to our expectations.

We know that a product passing all required performance test criteria is guaranteed to perform well in various real-life conditions, with very minimal risk that the product will be unsafe or non-performing.

We also ensure that our products meet any industry standards that must be adhered to. This includes international standards like EN 15570, as well as national standards including BS 6222, ANSI KCMA, ANSI BHMA, and DIN.

Specialist machinery and our own test lab

We use specialist equipment to undertake performance testing, which is specific to the individual product being tested. For example, for hinge testing we would need:

1. A hinge life cycling jig for a durability test
2. A set of weights to load front for a sag test
3. A ruler for sag measurement
4. A digital force gauge to measure the hinge clothing force on front

We’re serious about supplying quality furniture hardware, which is why we’re also equipped with our very own test lab. This lab is equipped to test our hardware thoroughly. It is used to test any new developments and also to maintain product consistency in regular production.

Titus tool free lockable dowels

The Titus Quickfit TL5 dowel (the ‘Full Metal Jacket’) is a high-performance solution for a durable rigid cabinet. Designed with strength and performance in mind, they are easy install lockable dowels that transform furniture assembly, speeding it up and making the process much easier.

Made using a unique expanding steel sleeve, the Quickfit TL5 dowel creates strong and reliable joints and allows for tool free insertion.

The benefits of our tool free lockable dowels

• They can be used across a range of common wood-based materials, so only one type of dowel is needed for chipboard, solid wood and MDF materials, without the need for any additional wooden dowels.
• They’re both strong and reliable, something which will ultimately save time when it comes to furniture assembly.
• They are highly tolerant to misalignment. That means even if when dealing with inaccurate drilling, the expanding sleeve will grip the material and provide a secure tight joint.
• To make the process easier for both manufacturers and customers, the Quickfit TL5 dowel connectors can also be pre-inserted into hardware in the factory to save assembly time.
• They’re consistent and accurate, and always lock in the 2 o’clock position – even if furniture is taken apart and reassembled.
• They’re built to last and don’t loosen with age, so are a perfect choice for long-lasting furniture assembly.