Hersteller von RTA-Flachpack-Küchenschränken aus der Türkei
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This guide explains how we build and ship RTA / flat-pack kitchen cabinets from Turkey: carcass construction, hardware, packing and CBM planning, documentation, and the factors that actually determine landed cost.
Short answer
An RTA cabinet programme works when four things are fixed early: carcass material and thickness, hardware brand and series, carton and pallet strategy, and destination-market compliance (CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI for the US, E1/E0 to EN 13986 for the EU). Everything else — door style, colour, sizes — is straightforward to change. These four are not.
Carcass: MDF or plywood?
| MDF carcass | Plywood carcass | |
|---|---|---|
| Screw holding | Good with correct fixings and cam locks | Better, especially on repeated assembly |
| Weight | Heavier | Lighter — matters on freight |
| Moisture behaviour | Swells if edges are exposed to water | More tolerant |
| Dimensional consistency | Excellent — better machining tolerance | Very good, some variance between sheets |
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
| Typical market expectation | Mid-market and rental projects | US dealer market, "all-plywood" positioning |
Buyers in the US frequently ask for both prices. That is reasonable — the two products serve different price points and both are legitimate. What matters is that the carcass, the back panel thickness and the shelf thickness are all stated. A "plywood cabinet" with a 3 mm back panel is not the same product as one with a full 12 mm captured back.
Hardware and the assembly system
In an RTA cabinet, hardware is not an accessory — it is the structure. Specify:
- Connection system: cam lock and dowel, or screw-in-block. Cam systems assemble faster and disassemble cleanly; blocks are more forgiving of unskilled assembly.
- Hinges: soft-close, opening angle, and whether clip-on (allows the door to ship separately and clip on at assembly).
- Runners: soft-close, full extension, load rating.
- Adjustable legs and clips: shipped loose in the hardware bag.
- Hardware bag per cabinet, labelled with the cabinet code — not one bulk box per order. This single decision is the difference between a smooth site assembly and a claim.
Packing and CBM: where the money is
Packing is a commercial decision, not a warehouse detail. What we plan for every RTA order:
- One carton per cabinet, containing all panels for that cabinet plus its labelled hardware bag.
- Cabinet code printed on the carton, matching the assembly manual and the packing list.
- Corner protection and edge board on all finished faces; doors interleaved with foam.
- Palletised and stretch-wrapped for container loading, or floor-loaded where the destination has no forklift access — this must be agreed in advance.
- Packing list with carton count, carton dimensions, CBM, net and gross weight issued before shipment, not after.
Ask any supplier for the CBM per kitchen set and the carton dimensions before you compare unit prices. Two quotations at the same FOB price can differ meaningfully in landed cost once freight is loaded onto them.
Compliance by destination market
- United States: composite wood panels must meet TSCA Title VI / CARB Phase 2 formaldehyde limits. Ask for the panel supplier's certificate — the cabinet maker does not certify the board, the board mill does.
- European Union: E1 emission class to EN 13986 as a minimum, with E0 increasingly specified.
- All markets: ISPM 15 heat-treated pallets for solid wood packaging.
Ask for these at quotation stage. Discovering a compliance requirement after production has started means re-buying board.
Assembly documentation
Every set ships with an assembly manual in the destination language and an installation video. Panels are numbered and sorted in assembly sequence so the first thing the installer opens is the first thing they need. For distributor customers we supply the manual as a print-ready file so it can be branded.
This is the same principle we apply to domestic flat-pack deliveries, described in our fitted storage specification guide.
Why manufacture in Turkey?
- Transit time. Turkey to Northern Europe is a matter of days by road; to the US East Coast, a materially shorter ocean transit than East Asia.
- Mixed and smaller batches. Turkish workshops are set up around project work rather than single-SKU volume runs, which makes mixed containers — kitchens, wardrobes, doors, panelling in one shipment — practical.
- Customs position for the EU. Turkish-origin industrial goods move to the EU under the Customs Union with an A.TR movement certificate; other destinations are covered by EUR.1 or a certificate of origin depending on the agreement in force. We have been issuing these documents on export shipments since the 1990s.
- Finish range. Membrane, laminate, lacquer and veneer are all available domestically, so a mixed-finish programme does not require multiple suppliers.
The documentation side is covered in detail in our guide to importing furniture and joinery from Turkey.
MOQ, lead time and payment
- MOQ: set per programme; for a first order we normally work from a 10-set trial batch so the buyer can validate quality, packing and assembly before committing to volume.
- Lead time: 20-30 working days for a first order after drawing approval, shorter on repeat orders once the cutting programme is established.
- Payment: deposit at order, balance before shipment.
- Incoterms: quoted FOB by default; EXW, CIF and DAP available on request.
Start with a trial container
We manufacture RTA and assembled kitchens, wardrobes, vanities, interior doors and architectural joinery in Turkey and ship worldwide with full export documentation. Our record includes a 500-unit development in Erbil, a 100-room building in Manama, apartment projects in London and Kosovo, and hotel projects across the Gulf and North Africa — see References.
Send your cabinet schedule for an FOB quotation with CBM and carton data →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an RTA kitchen cabinet?
A ready-to-assemble cabinet shipped as flat panels with all hardware and an assembly manual, assembled at destination. It substantially reduces shipping volume and transit damage compared with assembled carcasses.
Do you supply both MDF and plywood carcasses?
Yes, and we quote them separately because they serve different price points. The specification should always state carcass material, panel thickness, back panel thickness and shelf thickness.
Can you meet CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI for the US market?
Yes, using certified compliant panels. The certificate is issued by the board mill and supplied with the shipment, so the requirement must be stated at quotation stage.
What information will I get before shipment?
Carton count, carton dimensions, total CBM, net and gross weight, and a packing list matching the cabinet codes on the cartons and the assembly manual.
What is your lead time and minimum order?
20-30 working days after drawing approval on a first order. For new customers we normally start with a trial batch of around 10 sets so quality, packing and assembly can be validated before volume orders.