Less technology, more storage space

Kesseböhmer is right at the forefront as an innovator in the field of discreet lifting technology. With the “FREEslim” family, the company is offering a taste of a future generation of fittings for wall units. The ultra-thin lifters follow the trend towards minimalist and concealed fittings technology but demonstrate all of the performance features that today’s market demands. The new technology for versatile opening options for wall units has an ultra-thin appearance with dimensions comparable to an i-Pad and is either located on the side panel or fully disappears into it.

A new and complete family of lifters catering for all types of opening is concealed in the wall units in the kitchen at Kesseböhmer@home. These include “FREEslim fold” a folding flap fitting, “FREEslim swing”, a lift-up fitting and “FREEslim slide”, a parallel lift-up fitting. They appear as flat as an “iPad” at just 8 mm. This means each power pack can even be wholly integrated into the side panel of the carcase.

This will be a question that Kesseböhmer intends to discuss with their customers at the digital trade fair from 4 to 7 May 2021: depending on their own production processes and product philosophies, will kitchen manufacturers make the “FREEslim” totally disappear into the side panel, which can be done from inside or outside? Or will they simply screw the fitting onto it from the inside because the ultra-thin design makes integration unnecessary?

In terms of load-bearing capacity, the new lifter family takes its lead from the established “FREElift” range from Kesseböhmer. With respect to running properties and damping behaviour, “FREEslim” meets all of the current requirements expected of contemporary lifters. Thanks to the “Push-to-open“ versions, the new fittings can also be used in handleless kitchens.

The two-part central hinge allows Kesseböhmer to supply the lever and power pack of the “FREEslim” fittings as separate components in each case. For fitters, this creates the advantage that they can mount the lifters, which can either be used on the left or right-hand side, onto the carcase side panels and onto the front panel with the synchronisation rod without using any more tools after the carcase clamp.

“FREEspace” gets reinforcements

Kesseböhmer already took up the trending topic of discreet fittings technology in wall units two years ago with “Free Space”. With a minimal installation depth of 63 mm, slim front panel connection and spring integrated into the lever arm, a much pared-down flap fitting first appeared in 2019. With integrated damping, the “FREEspace mini” as it is now known could already easily cope with eleven kilograms with a reference height of 400 mm two years ago.

Now Kesseböhmer is completing the load capacity ranges and closing the gap on heavy front panels. “FREEspace forte” extends the range to 15 kilograms for the 600 mm front panel height. “FREEspace” therefore now offers the convenience of simple operation and very smooth running for a wide range of front panel heights and almost all panels with market relevance including “push-to-open“ versions.

With this new generation of fittings, the vision of invisible fittings technology, which leaves ever more storage space inside the wall unit, has moved another big step closer. In the next development step, Kesseböhmer intends to start equipping all of its lift-up mechanisms ready for automatic opening and closing as well.

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Caption 1: With the new "FREEslim" family, Kesseböhmer is giving a preview of a future generation of fittings in the wall unit sector. This includes "FREEslim fold" as a flap-folding fitting, "FREEslim slide" as a parallel high-swing fitting and "FREEslim swing" as a high-swing fitting. At just 8 mm, they are as flat as an "iPad". Photo: Kesseböhmer