Cabinets Channel Lock Construction
“Each fastener that we have carefully designed was created under the same principles: simplify manufacturing, simplify assembly, and simplify installation.”
Simplify the Process
The Channel Lock system is designed for lean manufacturing,
improving on key elements to increase production and reduce cost.
The first thing we improve is the fastener; from multiple confusing pieces down to a single piece design utilizing a keyhole slot to create the locking mechanism. This greatly reduces the fastener cost but more importantly, it simplifies the insertion process. Having fasteners on the surface often require manual labor or expensive specialized equipment for installation. Lockdowel only requires the fastener to be inserted on the edge and integrates perfectly with existing proven edge drilling or dowel insertion machines.
To eliminate the glue requirement when constructing a cabinet with no visible fasteners and comparable strength, we designed the interference of the barb geometry and keyhole slot to perfection. Together, each Channel Lock joint provides over 100 lbs of pull force and once assembled, no fasteners are visible. Without glue, cabinets can be disassembled for flat shipping, rework, or replacement.
To start, cabinets built with Lockdowel fasteners pass all ANSI/BIFMA or AWI Standard. But we don’t stop there. Our fasteners are engineered for rigorous testing and we will work with you to meet all specialized requirements.
Simplicity in design, the fastener naturally reduce the assembly process. The channel lock slides firmly inside the keyhole slot. With practice, a base cabinet can be assembled in 2.5 minutes, and a drawer box in 30 seconds. Every product we have converted to Lockdowel shows a significant increase in assembly time by as much as 60%.
Step 1: Surface Routing
Any CNC router that is capable of holding 0.10 mm tolerance can use our router bit for milling the key slot routs. A Channel Lock rout consist of 2 passes called the Clear Out and the Locking. Both cuts use the same router bit at a different depth. The first cut, clearout, is at 4.5 mm in depth and the second cut, locking, is at 9.0 mm depth. All other machining operations remain the same.
Step 2: Edge Machining
We work with equipment manufacturers to integrate our fasteners for automatic insertion with an edge drilling machine, but starting with manual insertion is still faster and easier than before. The barbed channel lock and spring pin use standard 8 mm diameter drilling and 32 mm spacing.
Watch the full video on our equipment page.
Step 3: Assembly
Lockdowel product shares a very similar linear work cell that consists of routing, edge banding, edge drilling/insertion, and assembling the piece. The whole process of construction a cabinet from start to finish is 6 – 10 minutes per cabinet. Time is dependant on the CNC router speed and setup. The easiest step is assembling a Lockdowel product which takes about 3 minutes per base cabinet and 30 seconds for a drawer box.
Watch a full back base cabinet assembly contest between Dan and Bryan! For more videos, check out our youtube channel.
Step 4: Installation
Built in with our cabinets design is the hanging rail system. Level and install the hanging rail to the kitchen wall and hang the cabinets for easy installation.
Watch the full video of base cabinets, upper cabinets full assembly and installation video here.
Simplify the Product
The Channel Lock fastening system consists of three main components; the Barbed Channel Lock, Spring Pin, and Router Bit. We have 2 variations of each component and the products were designed specifically for two criteria: 1) Panel Thickness and 2) Material.
- Panel Thickness: The regular channel lock (E900BP) was designed specifically for panels of wood with the minimum thickness 5/8″ or more. The mini channel lock (E900BP-Mini) was designed for 1/2″ thickness material.
- Material: There are two materials for the fasteners, the plastic, and metal version. The plastic version is designed for softer material such as particle board, MDF, plywood, and selected lower density plastics. The metal version is designed for harder material such as hardwood, plywood, and higher density plastics like starboard.
For example, common 3/4″ particle board product will use the E900BP, 8002-40-R5, and the E1000 series router bit listed below.
The main component in the channel lock system. Smooth slide-to-lock technology with over 100 lbs pulls force. The channel lock construction is non-permanent and products can be disassemble.
The steel spring pin is essential to the barbed channel lock to provide extra sheer strength, helps square the unit, and act as a key to lock the whole piece together.
Our special t-slot cutter which cuts the keyhole slot for the channel lock. This creates the locking portion on the surface of the wood.
⌀ 8mm
⌀ 8mm
The mini barbed channel lock was designed for 1/2" material thickness. Similar to the E900BP, the mini provides over 50 lbs of pull force per joint.
The steel spring pin is essential to the barbed channel lock to provide extra sheer strength, helps square the unit, and act as a key to lock the whole piece together.
Our special t-slot cutter which cuts the keyhole slot for the channel lock. This creates the locking portion on the surface of the wood.
⌀ 5mm
⌀ 5mm
Simplify the Implementation
Lockdowel has built an extensive library of hundreds of products that had been converted to using Lockdowel’s hardware. We partnered with software developers in the woodworking industry to provide our cabinet product library to you for free. We also provide support for prototyping, testing, and equipment needs. Our job is to make your life simple and ensure a smooth and accurate transition when using our products.
Get Started Is Easy
Our Evaluation Kit is the first step toward a more profitable future. You get a ready-to-assemble Demo Unit which will introduce you to our new fastening technology. Enough fasteners and one router bit to create several sample units. Visit our evaluation kit page for more information on the many kits we have that is suitable for your business.
Stay Connected
We believe in challenging the status quo in the fastener and woodworking industry. We strive for innovation greatness and are seeking for people like you that share the same vision.
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