Modular Drawer Cabinets – History of the MDC

Lyon’s Modular Drawer Cabinets have been a favorite item for hundreds of warehouses, factories, and even offices for decades! Lyon is constantly looking for ways to make our great products even greater. As technologies improve and advance, we seize these opportunities to advance our products to their greatest potential.

Around since the early 80’s our modular drawer cabinets stand the test the time with sturdy steel housing and strong industrial drawers. Lyon’s earliest modular drawer cabinets were available in two heights (equal to today’s Counter and Eye-Level) and five different drawer sizes. Customers were able to configure just the right metal tool box with drawers for their items and parts. This cabinet had the ability to lock all the drawers at once and the forklift for easy transporting. Customizing drawer compartment sizes with movable partitions and dividers made this 30 inch wide cabinet a warehouse favorite. It was soon clear that everyone loved this style of cabinet!

Lyon Engineers The MSSII

Lyon introduced the MSSII Modular Drawer Cabinets in 1985. Extra Wide as well as Double Wide cabinets were now available for those that needed wider drawers. Desk Height and Bench Height options were added and up to nine drawer sizes were available. With these shorter cabinet heights came the option of adding casters and handles for an instant mobile workstation!

Each cabinet was fitted with Safetylink to lock all other drawers when one drawer was open. The aluminum handle on each drawer now also doubled as label holders. The full-extension drawers provided full visibility and access to all small parts. The addition of sixteen pre-engineered cabinets and eighteen layout kits for a hardware organizer made ordering a cabinet system even easier!

Lyon Introduces the 240 Platinum Series

July of 1999 saw the design, development, and testing of a new modular drawer cabinet. This upgrade improved the full-load drawer operation to a minimum of 3,000 cycles as well as a new single-drawer “interlock” mechanism.

A simplification in the manufacturing process greatly improved manufacturing lead times. The sixth Mid-Range Height cabinet size was now available along with fifteen drawer heights. Newly available slender wide cabinets provided storage in tight spaces making them ideal for modular garage cabinets. Customers also began to realize the benefits of having a modular storage bench. Simple panel legs and footrests combined with a work surface created workstations ideal for item assembly.

Shelf cabinets as well as overhead cabinets were now included as part of the eighty-three pre-engineered options to choose from! These new options offered extra space to store large and bulky items while still giving warehouses and facilities a uniform look. Lyon’s pre-engineered modular drawer cabinets also included the option of installed layout kits. This allowed customers to organize large portions of parts and tools with the order of a single part number!

The New 250 Series Lyon Modular Drawer Cabinets

In March of 2007 these cabinets went through another round of design, development, and testing. The new 250 MDC featured improved drawer operation along with the only true “single drawer access” latching mechanism. Also available now was the 251 MDC. This modular drawer cabinet provided a cost-effective alternative option for “multiple drawer access.” The full-load drawer operation also improved to a minimum of 6,000 cycles. Medium wide cabinets were now also available. Popularity for mobility increased. Preconfigured mobile workstations and mobile cabinets now included handles and casters. Hardwood tops easily changed these cabinets into a workshop on wheels! With seven colors to choose from, up to forty-nine possible color combinations are available for the cabinet housing and drawers.

January of 2015 saw an even better improvement of the drawer suspensions for the cabinets. These new drawer glides offer the smoothest as well as most reliable operating drawers in the industry. Even with the new glides, Lyon’s modular drawers still offer a weight capacity of 400 lbs each!

Do you own an old modular drawer cabinet, but not quite sure which model it might be? Refer to this model guide to determine your modular drawer cabinet model based on the location of the lock.

Lyon Modular Drawer Cabinets Designed for Efficiency

To this day, a Lyon modular drawer cabinet provides you with the highest density storage solution! Our cabinets help you reduce entire shelving sections of parts into about 50% of the original storage footprint. These cabinets keep your items organized as well as protect the contents from dust and dirt. Take a look at our Ready to Ship Modular Drawer Cabinets! These include our most popular units, in stock and ready to organize your space. Our other pre-engineered Modular Drawer Cabinets offer even more options for cabinet size and drawer quantity. Lyon takes the guesswork out of building a part number and has preconfigured hundreds of Modular Drawer Cabinet items to fit your needs. From Workbench Concepts, to Mobile Cabinets, and even Weapons Storage Cabinets, you’ll be sure to find the right cabinet for your application.

*DID YOU KNOW*

You are not limited to the preconfigured cabinets you see online. Modular Drawer Cabinets can still be built with drawers specific to your needs. Our Modular Cabinet Catalog walks you through the process for your housing selection and drawer selection. We encourage you to Request a Quote for the custom cabinet of your choosing. Lyon’s sales support team would be happy to assist you with your request and make sure you get the cabinet that is just right for you!