Hello,
Face frame mounting plates are commonly used for frameless cabinet work. When selecting the plate however, care should be taken to use a plate which offers the possibility to use 3 screws to attach the plate to the cabinet side.
The 2 fixing screw locations in most face frame mounting plates are designed to be located 3/8” back from the edge of a ¾” thick hardwood face frame. This puts the screws in the center of the hardwood frame, reducing the possibility of splitting the frame and provides a very secure attachment.
In a frameless installation, having the 2 fixing screws only 3/8” back from the edge of a particle board or MDF side is not a secure attachment. After repeated door openings and closings the plate will eventually loosen. When the door is over-opened and force applied, you will even see the back of the plate begin to lift off the surface. It’s a leveraging effect.
The solution is to always use a face frame mounting plate that offers the possibility of using a 3rd screw when using this style in a frameless cabinet. The 3rd screw will hold the plate firmly to the cabinet side and eliminate the leveraging effect.
When using standard frameless style mounting plates it is not necessary to use a 3rd screw. Since the screws are set back 37mm from the edge and are located near the center of the length of the mounting plate, the same leveraging effect does not occur. Many Euro, frameless mounting plates today also offer the possibility of using 3 screws for added security and to meet AWI guidelines.