With more and more commercial and retail outlets opting for heavy all-glass sliding doors, manufacturers have had to understand the particular demands that large surface areas make on the hardware on which they are moved and come up with solutions that fully meet the demands.

Swiss company Hawa AG, a leading specialist in sliding hardware, says that its innovative system has managed to overcome the challenge quite successfully. Launched a year ago, the company’s Hawa-Junior 250 for heavy wood or metal doors of up to 250 kg has already been applied in several projects across the globe. The company has now sought to replicate its success in the glass sector as well, with its new Hawa-Junior 250/G. The new system can move large all-glass sliding doors of up to 250 kg with extreme ease and smoothness, says a spokesman for the company.
“The super-strong hardware system is the youngest member of the extremely successful, tried and tested Hawa-Junior sliding hardware family and perfectly complements the upper weight category,” he says. “Carpenters, glass and metal workers, architects and designers no longer need to forgo the renowned qualities of Hawa-Junior hardware systems in this business sector.”
Hawa-Junior 250/G confers ideal running properties and extreme running smoothness to heavyweight all-glass sliding doors and partition walls: sliding panels move extremely quietly and with little effort – an absolute advantage in this weight category.
The hardware system is built for use in public and commercial buildings such as hotels, offices, banks, hospitals or restaurants – wherever room partitioning calls for a large-surface and elegant sliding door system, he says.

Gliding bearing technology
The quiet and smooth running properties found in both the Hawa-Junior 250 for wood and metal sliding doors and its twin system for glass applications, are based on high-quality plastic rollers, situated in trolleys which incorporate proven sliding bearing technology. This is one of the main reasons for the outstanding running properties that make the hardware system a real quiet glider, says the spokesman.
Explaining the mechanism further, he continues: “A suspension profile provides a form-fitting connection between hardware and glass and affords a high degree of operational safety – effectively preventing the glass from slipping. The suspension unit is integrated in the suspension profile to give a low installation height and minimum distance between the plain anodised top track and the door – the gap of just 10 mm (± 5mm) is extremely narrow and optically appealing. A cover is not required.

Two versions
Two glass suspension and retainer profiles are available for toughened safety glass (ESG) in thicknesses of 10 to 12 mm and 12.7 to 18 mm. Bar bolt locks fit discreetly into the profile to enable the integration of the sliding doors in a lockable system.
“The two available guide variants are also well thought out,” says the spokesman. “Hawa recommends the rattle-proof two-point guide in a continuous floor track for sliding doors subject to heavy use. They prevent the heavy sliding doors from rattling in draughts or on opening and closing. Alternatively, a point-fixing, invisible floor guide that can be installed without interrupting the floor layout is also available. Stop bumpers keep the doors in their final position, and the retention force is adjustable to suit the weight of each door.
“The new Hawa-Junior 250/G sliding hardware system for large, heavy, all-glass sliding doors likes things quiet and peaceful, and its running properties are proof of its heritage as a member of the tried and tested Hawa-Junior sliding hardware family. It is available from specialist dealers,” he concludes.