the moving benchtop

When you think "benchtop", you think of style, design, material and longevity. You wouldn't often consider words like ergonomic or ease of use. That's where Pull-out shelf lock from Blum opens up a new world of possibilities!

A pull-out shelf turned into a moving benchtop? Blum has installed this application into their Christchurch Showroom to prove that kitchen design has no boundaries, with a full-size pull-out shelf on MOVENTO runners. In the island kitchen, the hob and sink both sit on the island, leaving the perfect opportunity to use the shelf space against the wall for small appliances.

MOVENTO runners can take up to 70 kgs of weight, and with a Pull-out shelf lock, your benchtop will lock securely during use - flick the lever with one hand thanks to the synchronisation shaft to release the shelf back into the cabinet.

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Antibacterial surfaces

new accreditation for Catas

Catas – the leading European testing laboratory and products certification body for the woodfurniture sector is proud of an accreditation that is particularly topical in recent years. We are talking about the method ISO 22196:2011 “Measurement of antibacterial activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces”, that is the procedures in order to evaluate the antibacterial properties of surfaces, in more technical terms the properties of polymeric products to which antibacterial substances have been added.

Those working in the research and development of technologies and materials aimed at controlling and limiting the proliferation of bacteria on surfaces can therefore turn to Catas to evaluate their effectiveness and rely on a standardized and accredited method.

It all started in 2020, in the wake of the “Covid-19” pandemic and huge concern about the possibility of contracting diseases transmitted through contact with infected surfaces. Since then, demand has literally exploded for tests to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments that provide antibacterial properties to surfaces. Evidence of this is the fact that over the last two years, the laboratory has carried out more than 140 tests on coatings, packaging films, furniture and floorings.

This activity has obviously mainly involved materials used in medical practices, communities or highly frequented environments, where the risk of transmission of a bacterial infection through the demand has exploded for tests to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments that provide antibacterial properties to surfaces. promiscuous use of objects or contact with infected surfaces is greater, although there has been no lack of tests carried out on products intended for domestic use.

The seriousness, consistency, and desire to always guarantee the utmost reliability and transparency that have always characterized Catas’ work have therefore prompted it to obtain accreditation from the Italian accreditation body ACCREDIA for this method as well, thus enabling the laboratory to join the very short list of accredited laboratories for ISO 22196 standard (four throughout Italy).

In order to meet the need for coating manufacturers to endorse their products with an authoritative brand name, Catas has developed a new certification scheme, in addition to the well-known Catas Quality Award (CQA). This is the CQA Antibacterial Coating Certification, which, through a specific programme of tests, certifies coating systems for interiors that meet certain performance requirements, including – precisely, antibacterial activity.