Sliding into the future Accuride

sLIdInG InTo ThE fuTuRE

Accuride, with nearly one million square feet of manufacturing space on three continents and growing, is the largest company in the world dedicated to the innovative design and manufacture of telescopic slides. Product development reflecting market needs has been a key factor in the company’s global development. European Sales Director Jim Armstrong revealed that the company is in the process of launching a new product for the white goods sector, demonstrating again its innovative focus and market leadership.

european Sales Director, Jim Armstrong

Accuride is a manufacturer of commercial-grade drawer slides, linear track systems and electronic locking solutions for cabinetry in commercial, residential and industrial applications. The components can be found in major appliances, electronic enclosures, cars, office and residential fixtures, and industrial machines.

The company, with its wide variety of off-the-shelf and custom solutions, has a truly global presence. “We have manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, China and Japan, each with a product development centre. Each facility supplies its own markets so that we are always close to the customer,” says Mr Armstrong, adding that the business is currently growing in all geographical regions. “We work closely with our customers to develop practical and cost-effective solutions. Whether it’s a single component or an entire assembly, we have the resources to make it happen.”

Customer specific solutions

Accuride can reliably handle projects of any size. The range covers products from different materials in different sizes and lengths and includes heavy-duty aluminium slides that carry up to 200-plus kg rolls on massive printing machines, down to tiny products that are installed in coffee makers. “No one in the world can offer this huge range of products. The company has built this expertise since 1960 and this is clearly a massive advantage, something that sets us apart from competitors,” says Jim Armstrong.

“Another thing is the high quality and customisation. We don’t compete with cheaper producers making millions of standard products. We manufacture to customer specific requirements; each slide is tailor-made to suit their units. Quality is a huge factor underpinning our success. Our products are tried and tested to the most stringent of requirements, reflecting customers’ involvement and input in the product design stage.”

Accuride’s slides move smoothly across a variety of industries, in a vast range of products supplied by prime OEMs. This breadth of applications is another special feature that has carried the company steadily into its current leading position. “On the direct sales side of the business, we service many different markets demanding different materials from cold rolled steel, different grades of stainless steel to aluminium,” remarks Jim Armstrong, pointing out that distribution is also a key part of the business, with a global distribution network servicing clients from the individual production facilities.

Ready for steamer cooking

In Europe, one of the key sectors that Accuride supplies is the white goods industry, where its customer base includes all major brands, such as Whirlpool, Miele and Electrolux. These companies are just a few of the manufacturers who have incorporated the premium movement of Accuride ball bearing slides into their products, relying on the innovative slide solutions to maximise space, while also managing high and low temperatures and wet conditions.

“We are always looking at introducing new features to the customer’s maximum benefit. Just recently our designers have come up with an innovative slide to suit the new steam ovens combining standard and steam cooking, which has been gaining popularity in Europe. Naturally, the aggressive steam creates different material requirements than for products used for standard oven cooking, and the slides we have designed satisfy both. The slide is made from top quality austenitic steel with the highest corrosion resistance to ensure long lasting, smooth performance. The product was designed in response to OEMs’ requirements and more and more companies are now incorporating it into their appliances,” explains Mr Armstrong.

The white goods sector is not the only industry that shows promising growth potential, as he further affirms. “Automotive is a significant part of Accuride’s business and we deal with most of the major brands, directly or indirectly, accommodating their demands for weight saving and ergonomic comfort.”

With its decades of experience, successful track record around the globe and focus on innovation, Accuride is well placed to meet the challenges of the future. “The future will bring more automation in factories and new trends, such as smart appliances. We are ready to meet the challenge. We are constantly looking at developing new products, new materials and will strive to further develop existing markets but also to find new markets for new products. We are a manufacturer, we have skilled people – we can do anything.” n