Hardex - Resilience Designed for Real Life
When it comes to door and window hardware, ERA’s Fab&Fix range offers the ultimate combination of quality, style and choice. However, it is the strength and durability of the unique Hardex coating which elevates Fab&Fix into a league of its own.
Five years in development, Hardex finishes are among the most resilient and attractive in the world today. It all starts with the expertise of our design engineers and tool makers - only the most refined castings make the grade for a Hardex coat.
Time is then of the essence, it takes over 24 hours to perfect a single handle. Meticulous preparation of the surface material is followed by a complex series of chemical baths, each submersion calculated to the second. Only then is the product ready for Hardex to be applied before curing in extreme temperatures.
And how do we know that Hardex is at the pinnacle of endurance against the elements? The rigorous application of cyclic prohesion testing.
Ben Penson, ERA’s Technical and Quality Director explains, “We moved on from neutral salt spray testing (NSST) a long time ago as it isn’t representative of real world conditions. Instead, we use far more rigorous prohesion testing to put Hardex through its paces. This combines an electrolyte spray sequence with drying cycles at high temperatures to concentrate salt deposits on the hardware."
Prohesion testing, which is designed to expose even the slightest of coating weaknesses, is the only method of corrosion testing to provide real peace of mind when it comes to ensuring long-lasting performance in the real world.
Ben continues, “Hardex can sail through 1000 hours of this barrage, confirming it’s still the most durable finish on the market. That being said, there’s still no replacement for the rigours of the field and Fab&Fix products have racked up plenty of test hours there too – the brand is 30 years old this year.”
The Fab&Fix range incorporates over 200 perfectly matching door and window hardware items. Available across three distinct ranges – Classic, Architectural and Heritage – the collection has been designed to provide superior, long-lasting decorative hardware for any door style.
