the 32 mm system

The 32 mm cabinetmaking system is a furniture construction and manufacturing principle used in the production of ready-to-assemble and European-style, frameless construction custom cabinets and other furniture. The system is in wide use globally, partly owing to IKEA using some of its elements (principally the 32 mm shelf support holes) in its furniture. Characteristics are the columns of 5 mm holes on 32 mm centers

THE SYSTEM:

The system was developed by fitting, machine and furniture manufacturers, and serves to standardize both component dimensions and production processes. The design features are:

• Distance of the holes in the row of holes: 32 mm
• Diameter of the holes: 5 mm and 8 mm. A typical 5 mm shelf stud may measure 15-16 mm long, and has a thin flange of about 7 mm diameter halfway at its length.
• Distance of the front row of holes to the front edge: 37 mm

The system includes matching fittings, with which furniture sides can be secured to floors, walls, and adjacent cabinets. Other fittings are available for doorbands, drawer guides, clothes racks, floor racks, and other features, and typically mount into one or more of the 5 mm holes otherwise used to support shelf brackets. By using this system, left OR right doors can be install and reversed, drawers locations and sizes can be substituted, and all this hardware easily and VERY accurately aligns to these 32mm holes.

HISTORY:

It is claimed that the system was developed after the end of World War II in order to help speed reconstruction of the vast number of buildings destroyed during the war, that the spacing was decided upon because that was the closest that multiple drill bits on a line boring machine could be placed, because of the size of the gears then available. In Europe, it was and still is referred to as Hettich's System 32. In North America it is simply: European Cabinetry. 

HOW TO GO ABOUT IT:

Creating the 32 mm system holes can be achieved with a simple hand held drilling guide and cordless drill, or an inline boring machine that drills multiple holes all at once. Either way, once these holes are bored there is no more measuring for the hardware installation.

Example:

Multiple vendors sell drilling templates and routing machines that can be used to build System 32 cabinets, including:

• Blum's Process32 system
• Festool Hole Guide System
• Rockler
• True 32 system
• Veritas 32 Cabinetmaking System

ROLES OF 32 MM SYSTEM:

If you've ever constructed IKEA furniture, as stated above, you have seen evidence of this system. It can also be seen in the interiors of cabinetry with adjustable levels for shelves. As system of organization, it creates an easy-to-apply template that can be applied across multiple projects and pieces. 

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