Windsor Architectural Hardware presents a new fitting system for their door hardware ranges, designed to speed up installation while simultaneously adding strength to the door handle.
The New Zealand designed and patented system, rapidFIT uses one simple 48mm cropping hole in the side of the door in place of the three separate holes previously required.
These are supplied mostly preassembled in the packaging: one half of the handle set has the rapidFIT boss and spindle attached, leaving just two screws to be fitted through the opposite side into the rapidFIT boss to secure the second handle in place.
The rapidFIT system is designed to hug the latch mechanism securely inside the door reducing any risk of movement of the rose over time.
Once the latch and striker plate are installed, rapidFIT can be installed in less than a minute, saving installers an average of five minutes per door and at least half an hour per house lot.
“Any time we can reduce on jobs is great, so this increase in efficiency has been well received by our business,” Bennett Doors managing director Craig Bennett observed.
rapidFIT was developed keeping in mind both builders and the DIY handyman. “The goal was simple: make a fitting system that’s easy to use and fast to install,” Vanessa Mellin, Windsor’s new product development coordinator said.
This ease of use has followed through to the new packaging, which utilises a custom tray made from recycled paper to house the hardware. Windsor endeavours to create more environment-friendly packaging by reducing the amount of plastic and utilising recycled materials where possible.
“This has simultaneously created packaging that is stronger and better protects the hardware in transport. The tray is more functional for the installer on site and is quicker to remove the hardware,” Mellin added.
The rapidFIT system has been included with all passage and privacy handle sets in Windsor’s popular Futura and Galaxy ranges, available in most hardware merchant stores nationwide.
“Continuous improvement and our products being made to last have always been part of our ethos at Windsor. Whilst it’s great to bring new products to market, we are proud of the style and quality of our core ranges and the rapidFIT system has produced an innovative functional improvement to those,” Windsor managing director Peter Hickmott said.
