Conclusion
IT?S INTERESTING TO note that engineer Edgardo Bravo markets products that are not readily appreciated since they are, almost always, hidden from plain view and integrated into the product of many kitchen cabinet manufacturers and kitchen cabinet producers.
And yet, he doesn?t mind this fact.
?As long as my clients here are provided with sophisticated components that could withstand repeated use without failure, then I am satisfied,? said Bravo, sales and marketing director of Deepe Marketing Corp., the country?s exclusive distributor of Blum brand of hinges, lift and pullout systems, which are primarily used by manufacturers of high-end and stylish kitchen set.
He added that by bringing Blum products here in the Philippines, his company is providing homes -- though indirectly --with highly functional as well as long lasting pieces of kitchen furniture.
?It makes sense for manufacturers to invest in high-end hinge, drawer, roll-out systems and assembly devices that match the quality of their cabinet products. They don?t only make their products look and perform beautifully but they also last longer, avoid costly repairs and replacements. In other words, production of waste is minimized if not eliminated,? Bravo explained.
One of Bravo?s major partners agreed. Econ Euro Systems Inc., a local manufacturer of high-end kitchen furniture has been relying on Blum products since it was established a year ago.
Careful
?As one of the country?s makers of luxury kitchen set, we must be careful in choosing components that do not compromise the performance of our products. Moreover, such components must also possess designs that would make one?s stay in the kitchen experiential,? said Danny Yu of Econ Euro.
His showroom located at the corner of Araneta Avenue and E. Rodriguez Sr. in Quezon City would attest as to why they need Blum?s extensive range of high-quality kitchen cabinet hinges.
Using Blum components, Yu?s design showcases kitchen drawers and pull-outs that open automatically with just a light touch on a handless front or a light pull of the handle.
?Indeed, they are designed to spark inspiration and create an emotional experience out of day-to-day kitchen tasks. Moreover, Blum products are engineered to provide trouble-free performance for the lifetime of kitchen furniture,? Yu described.
Informed Bravo: ?Blum?s products are subjected to heavy loads in everyday use. In Austria, where the company is based, designers and engineers simulate these same situations in their testing lab. Fully loaded drawers and pull-outs are opened and closed up to 100,000 times while the durability of a Blum hinge is tested using 200,000 door movements. Lift systems are opened and closed in the testing lab 80,000 times.?
Highest good
?As in all eco-designers, including those at Blum, longevity is the highest good. This means the products they design must resist wear and tear and must possess timeless design,? explained Lilibeth Ducut-Abais, managing director of L.A. Ducut and Co.
She added products should not merely look good.
?On the contrary, their longevity should be given equal emphasis as this alone minimizes the product?s impact on the environment. Harmful emissions are reduced over the product?s entire life cycle, from its birth through its usage to its end,? she said.
Abais informed that even though a product may initially cost more, it may be the least expensive choice in the long run since they would no longer need to be replaced or maintained regularly.
