Highlights of 75 years - Hettich

In 1968, single pivot and brass hinges
from ONI were seen as the perfect precision
components. With 500 fixing types
and over 10,000 hinge variants the company‘s
range was the biggest in Europe,
and possibly in the world.
The ET 320 marked the birth of the spring
hinge and soon the first all-metal hinges
based on this hinge series were launched.
The 1970s – System 32 and the
Quadro revolution
In 1970, Hettich started production of
ballbearing runners – still among the
company‘s best-selling products. A year
later, System 32 a standard hole-spacing
system devised by Hettich, and accepted
worldwide revolutionized furniture
assembly and production.
In 1975, development work on the
Quadro drawer runner that operates
on the ballbearing principle. The Quadro
principle is now a quality standard
worldwide for kitchen, residential and
office furniture, in home appliances and
contract furniture.
1979 saw the launch of Systema, the
first organizable metal drawer for office
furniture with Quadro runners. Systema
today has developed into a complex
product family which has become a world
leader in office systems.
80er Jahre 90er Jahre 2005
The 1980s – trend to sliding and folding
In 1980, Hettich completed development
of the first three-door sliding door fitting
ready for mass production. In 1985, the
company launched fast-assembly hinges
– the first one was Euromat Top Safe.
Fast assembly hinges have slashed
assembly times and revolutionized furniture
assembly on-site. In 1989, the Wing Line
range of folding door fittings became
the trendsetter in a new generation of
bedroom storage units.
The 1990s – focus on kitchens
In 1991, the launch of the first foldable
steel box for kitchen drawers began a
new era for drawer design and assembly
techniques. Just a year later, the Quadro
V6, a full-extension drawer runner
system pioneered a trend that has lead
to full-extension becoming the de facto
standard for kitchen furniture. 1993 saw
production rollout of the trailblazing
Intermat fast assembly hinge. In 1994,
QuickTech, the first all-metal drawer for
kitchens and bathrooms, went into production.
The system is still unsurpassed,
not only for its logistic and assembly
advantages, but also for its high usability
for the end user. 1994 was also the year
when Multiflex, the most successful mechanical
bedslat adjusting system, went
into mass production.
1995 saw the market launch of the
InnoTech double-walled drawer system.
The Innotech system included a variable
cutlery organizer system made of steel,
which marked a great step forward in
letting users organize kitchen drawers as
they chose. The Innotech system has been
expanded with new developments since
its launch, eg, the XL drawer. In 1999,
the ComfortLine drawer system was
introduced. ComfortLine gives end-users
wide scope in combining system components
to suit their workstyle and wishes.
The Concept Kitchen 2010 was a highlight
of the Interzum 1999 and attracted
overwhelming press interest in national
and international trade journals. Its design
and functionality took account of
four key areas: environment, comfort,
ergonomics and changing approaches
to using living space.
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On the threshold of the 21st century
In 2000, Hettich developers perfected
the SoftFlow damped drawer runner.
Building on this early system, they went
on to create Silent System – a complete
damping system, not only for drawers
but for hinges and for folding and sliding
door fittings. An important innovation
in 2002 was the hettlock electronic
locking system. This is a versatile and
sophisticated locking system which meets
the special locking needs of furniture
in offices and similar applications. As a
digital system, hettlock can be seamlessly
integrated in a building- or facility-wide
locking and organization system.
In 2003, Hettich Franke launched mosys,
its first electric system for adjustable
bedslats. The company supplies complete
systems including the motor. With motor
drives attachable at any point, mosys
allows maximum freedom for fine bed
design. This compares favourably with
conventional double drives.
At 75, the Hettich Group has achieved a
successful mix of mature know-how and
trailblazing enthusiasm. In the future
too, we‘ll continue to hone our skills in
tracking coming trends and recognizing
developing needs. And we‘ll work with
developers, designers and customers to
generate new solutions and develop them
to the series production stage.
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