The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) revisions to U.S. performance standard for kitchen and bath cabinets.
“ANSI/KCMA A161.1 is the only standard for kitchen and bath cabinets in the world to undergo such a widespread review and approval process,” said Dick Titus, executive VP, KCMA.
Changes to the standard include clarification that the drawers, as well as the doors, of the cabinets shall be properly aligned and shall close without excessive binding. In addition, the static loading test for wall cabinets over 24 in. in height has been increased from 500 pounds to 600 pounds, and the timing of the open/close cycles for doors and drawers has been standardized. Finally, lighting conditions for observing finish performance have been established.
Currently, more than 100 companies representing over 50 percent of the U.S. market are KCMA-certified. To meet the KCMA standards, the cabinets must meet general construction requirements, pass five structural tests, two door operation tests, two drawer tests and five finish tests. The Directory of Certified Manufacturers, which lists the certified companies and cabinet lines complying with the standard, can be downloaded from the KCMA web site here.
