Aluminium handle profiles are extruded grips that run along the edge of a cabinet door, drawer or sliding panel, or sit in a recess between units, so the furniture needs no separate knobs. Metline supplies gola, G, C, J, L, edge-pull and bar handle profiles in 6063 and 6060 alloys, anodised or coated in any colour, in full lengths or cut to size, to furniture makers and distributors worldwide.
A handle profile is a length of extruded aluminium shaped so that fingers can hook behind it or into it. It is either fixed to the door or drawer front, or built into the cabinet carcass so that the doors themselves stay plain.
Handleless kitchens and wardrobes made the profile popular, but the reasons it works are practical. Extruded aluminium can be shaped into a deep, comfortable finger pull only a few millimetres thick, it is stiff enough to run the full width of a drawer bank without sagging, it does not swell in a steamy kitchen the way MDF edges can, and its anodised or coated surface is easy to wipe clean.
The same section can be cut to any door width, so one die serves a whole furniture range. That is also why handle profiles are almost always made from 6063 or 6060: these alloys flow through complex dies, give crisp edges and take an even anodised colour, which matters more on a visible handle than ultimate strength.
A recessed channel fixed horizontally or vertically in the cabinet carcass, between the worktop and the top drawer or between drawers. The doors have no handle at all; fingers reach into the gap. L-type sections run below the worktop, C-type between drawer fronts, and vertical sections serve tall units.
Fixed to the top edge of a door or drawer front, wrapping over it and leaving a finger groove behind. Fronts are rebated or cut short to accept it. See our G profile page for sizes.
Clip or screw onto the door edge to form a curved lip. A J profile has a single curved return; a C profile wraps both faces for a deeper grip.
An angle-shaped lip along the top or side edge of a door, very slim when the door is closed. Popular on wardrobes and bathroom units.
Surface-mounted handles cut from extruded bar or a T section, fixed with machine screws at standard hole centres.
Vertical full-height sections that also act as the door stile, used on wardrobe sliding doors and aluminium-framed glass doors.
Handle profiles are sized by their cross-section (width × height), the door thickness they fit, and, for surface-mounted pulls, the hole centres. Furniture hardware follows the 32 mm system, so pull handle centres are almost always multiples of 32 mm.
| Profile | Typical cross-section (W × H) | Fits / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gola L (under worktop) | about 18 – 20 × 30 – 40 mm | Top drawer or base door, carcass mounted |
| Gola C (mid-rail) | about 25 – 30 × 30 – 50 mm | Between two drawer fronts |
| Gola vertical | about 15 – 20 × 40 – 45 mm | Tall units and wall cabinets |
| G profile | about 20 – 40 mm deep | 16, 18 or 19 mm fronts |
| J / C edge profile | about 10 – 30 mm projection | Clip or screw onto door edge |
| Slim edge pull (I/L track) | about 10 – 12 × 30 – 35 mm | Wardrobes, bathroom units |
| Bar pull length | Common hole centres |
|---|---|
| About 128 – 140 mm (5 in) | 96 mm |
| About 160 – 180 mm (7 in) | 128 mm |
| About 200 mm (8 in) | 160 mm |
| About 225 – 300 mm (12 in) | 192 or 224 mm |
| About 400 – 600 mm (15 – 24 in) | 320 – 512 mm, or end-fixed |
| Alloy and temper | Why it is used | Min. tensile / yield |
|---|---|---|
| 6063-T5 | Default choice: fine surface, sharp detail, even anodising | 152 / 110 MPa (ASTM B221) |
| 6060-T5 / T66 | European furniture standard, extrudes thin sections easily | 160 / 120 MPa (T5, EN 755-2) |
| 6463-T5 | Low-iron variant for bright-dip or polished chrome-look finishes | similar to 6063 |
| 6061-T6 | Heavy bar pulls and handles that take high hand loads | 260 / 240 MPa |
Handles are pulled thousands of times, but the loads are small; what fails in practice is usually the fixing or the finish, not the metal. A 6063-T5 profile of 1.5 mm wall is ample for a drawer pull. Where a long handle spans a tall door and is fixed only at the ends, increasing the section depth adds far more stiffness than changing alloy.
Silver, matt black, champagne, bronze, gold and stainless-steel effect. For kitchens specify at least AA15 (15 µm) so the film resists cleaning chemicals and abrasion.
Mechanically brushed before anodising for a satin stainless look that hides fingerprints.
Any RAL colour, including soft-touch matt textures, matched to door fronts. QUALICOAT-approved systems on request.
Two- or three-coat fluoropolymer for exterior doors and coastal locations where colour stability matters.
Sublimation transfer to match oak, walnut or other veneers on the fronts.
Bright polished or electro-coated finishes in gold, titanium and black for premium furniture.
Colour on anodised aluminium varies slightly from batch to batch. For a large project, order all profiles in one batch or approve a colour range with limit samples.
Visible handle profiles are normally ordered to the precision tolerances of EN 12020-2 for 6060 and 6063, which control the grip dimensions, straightness and twist more closely than general profile tolerances. Every lot is inspected for cross-section, surface and coating thickness, and supplied with an EN 10204 3.1 certificate. Anodising can be specified to QUALANOD and coatings to QUALICOAT where the project requires a recognised quality label.
A gola profile is fixed into the cabinet carcass, so the doors are plain and the grip is the recess between units. A G profile is fixed to the top edge of each door or drawer front and forms the grip on the front itself.
6063-T5 or 6060-T5. Both extrude fine, sharp details and give an even anodised colour. 6061-T6 is used only for heavy bar pulls where extra strength is needed.
Furniture follows the 32 mm system, so common centres are 96, 128, 160, 192, 224 and 320 mm. Profiles can be drilled to any centres you specify.
Anodising of at least 15 µm or a quality powder coating both perform well. Anodised surfaces resist scratching better; powder coating gives a wider colour range and soft-touch textures.
Yes. Profiles can be cut to door widths, drilled, mitred and packed with matching end caps and brackets, ready to fit.
Yes. A custom die can be made from your drawing. Send the section, door construction and expected annual quantity so the die and finish can be reviewed before production.
Send the profile style, finish, cut sizes and quantities, and we will propose sections and quote a delivered price.
