ls hardware going soft?

llfHeTS happening to hardUU ware? Do your customers, especially those who cringe at "plasticj' realize that metal is no longer a significant ingredient in a lot of plumbing hardware?

Acetal resin, an engineering plastic, has become one of the fastest growing materials in the plumbing industry today-with an annual growth rate of llVo.

The use of acetals is growing rapidly in fittings, valves, faucet parts, showerheads, sink sprayers and drains, where strength, stiffness, endurance and low friction are important. When a chrome appearance has been necessary, acetals have been covered with a chrome-plated material. However. a number of European designers believe the material performs so well that a metal look is not necessary. They are creating highfashion faucets and sink fixtures in designer colors that totally eliminate the chrome look.

The growing popularity of parts made of acetal is attribted to several recent technological advances.

Another reason, according to Dr. Paul E. Sample, a Du Pont technical consultant, is that the polymer has been time-tested. "When we first introduced acetals to the plumbing industry 25 years ago, there was a general fear that the materials wouldn't hold up, or would hydrolyze under long-term hot water usej' he said. "Some manufacturers tried the polymer, and are reporting troublefree use in thousands of applications. Many parts have been in constant use for more than 20 years and have no deformation or hydrolysis. That news is spreading fastJ'

Price/Pfister and American Standard have been using acetal resin in fixed plate shower heads since the early 1960s. Another firm, Chicago Specialties, produces several pulsating shower heads designed with components made of the material.

MCC Powers has been incorporating innerbodies made of the resin in its shower temperature-controlling valves since 1963 and, of the first half million units sold, not one was returned due to failure of the components.

Delrin (Du Pont's acetal) is used in more than half of all U.S. manufactured ballcocks and nearly all U.S. manufactured flush meters. Ballcock samples removed from a group of California homes after 17 years showed acetal components to be in excellent condition.

Price/Pfister uses acetal for mechanical components in one of single lever kitchen faucets and, along with Modern Faucet. selected the material to replace phenolic in its kitchen sink sprayer body, lever and coupling nut for toughness, thread strength, resistance to scratching and mineral buildup.

DURABILITY, strength and stiffness make the acetal resin appropriate for use in domestic hot and cold water systems.

New applications also are being commercialized with 200 PL. England's Fordham Bathrooms & Kitchens Ltd. has replaced all acetal plumbing components with the new grade and is using 2W PL for seven parts of its ball valve. Brass-Craft Industries recently introduced fittings, elbows and tees of 200 PL as part of its newly-developed Poly-Lock potable water svstem.

Story at a Glance

Acetalplastac used in plumbing growing al11o/o quarter century shows product durability... high style color possible ex. cellent performance in unseen components...

ESPITE the attention consumer literature gives door hardware for redecorating, remodeling and reorganizing home security, many home center and hardware dealers limit their merchandising to putting up a door hardware section sign and stacking up their inventory.

Since we think that imaginative merchandising and displays can sell more door hardware, we asked the management at Dexter in Auburn, Al., for input. Because they were chosen by West Building Materials, Atlanta, Ga., as their 1984 Hardware Supplier of the Year, we felt they must have good ideas about innovative merchandising of locksets and door hardware.

Dexter's vice president of marketing and sales, David Brunelle, had a ready answer for our question: "How can a retailer improve his sales of door hardware?"

"Merchandise a complete program with broad deep inventory as opposed to spotlighting," he said. "The consumer is looking for a broad selection, a family of products, since many homeowners are now using the same style of hardware from the front entrance throughout the entire house, as part of their interior design."

In addition, he continued, "the dealer who lowballs on a cheap lockset is not in step. Security demands have given the customer a perceived idea that a better product means better security. The customer also equates better price with higher quality for both security and appearance. For example, consumers are willing to pay for the look of decorative brass. Upscale products are selling well at present."

It's a challenge for a dealer to get the maximum margin and still give the