HON assembly
Every panel connects the same way. The connectors are still their own line item.
HON built these systems around one universal connector, which is why a HON office can be reconfigured without dismantling a whole run. It is also why a pallet of secondhand panels can arrive with no way to join them together.
A system designed around what happens in year four
Most panel systems are planned once and then fought with afterward. Changing a run means special parts, finished end panels you did not order, and taking apart perfectly good workstations to get at a connection in the middle. HON went the other way and standardized the joint. On Initiate, every panel connects the same way, every panel has integral finished ends, and you do not need to disassemble a run to add a panel or change direction. HON describes the Accelerate connector as a universal panel connector that saves time, money and inventory.
That is worth understanding as a buying decision rather than a feature list, because the real cost of systems furniture is not the first install. It is the four reconfigurations over the next decade as teams grow, shrink and move. A system where any panel meets any panel, and where every end is already finished, makes those changes an afternoon rather than a project with a parts order attached.
The place that promise has an edge is ordering. Universal means every panel uses the same connector, not that the connector comes with the panel. On basyx by HON, connecting hardware is explicitly sold separately, and used dealers list HON panels priced individually with connecting posts as a separate charge. Since HON is one of the most common brands on the secondhand market, the recurring outcome is a delivery of sound panels that cannot be joined to each other.
What it actually takes
Wider panels mean fewer parts and fewer joints, which is why panel width affects install time as much as floor area.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Checking the parts list against the layoutCount connectors, not just panels. | 30 to 60 minutes | 1 |
| Building a straight run72 inch panels cover more with fewer joints. | quick per panel | 2 |
| Corners, three-way and 120 degree junctionsWhere the layout drawing earns its keep. | slower per junction | 2 |
| Leveling on the adjustable glidesStandard on all panels. Do it before hanging. | 20 to 40 minutes per run | 1 to 2 |
| Data and power through the base railsMetal base rails give the access route. | alongside the build | data tech |
| Adding a panel to an existing run laterThe whole point of the universal connector. | an afternoon, not a project | 2 |
On a HON system the reconfiguration is the cheap part by design. Getting the initial parts count right is what makes that true.
What to get right, specifically
Count the connectors, not just the panels
This is the single most common way a HON install stalls, and it comes straight from how the product is sold. Connecting hardware is a separate line item, described that way on basyx by HON and priced separately by used dealers listing panels individually. Panels arrive, everyone is pleased, and there is nothing to join them with. Work out from the layout how many in-line, 90 degree, three-way, four-way and 120 degree connectors the plan needs, and check them off the delivery separately from the panel count.
Universal means within the line, so match what you are buying
The universal connector is a genuine strength and it is worth being precise about its scope. It means every panel within a system connects the same way, which is why you can add or turn a workstation without pulling a run apart. It does not mean any HON panel from any era and any line mates with any other. When buying used, or extending a system that was installed years ago, confirm the specific line and generation you already have before ordering more, rather than assuming HON panels are interchangeable across the whole catalog.
Panel width changes the job more than people expect
Accelerate runs from twenty inch panels up to seventy-two, and HON makes the point itself that the wider panels use fewer parts and simplify planning, ordering, installation and reconfiguration. In practice a run built from 72 inch panels has a fraction of the joints of the same length built from 30s, which means less hardware, fewer alignment opportunities to get wrong and a faster build. Where the layout allows it, specifying wider panels is a quiet saving on both the order and the install.
Level on the glides before anything gets hung
Adjustable glides are standard on all panels, and they are there to be used rather than admired. Worksurfaces, storage and screens all hang off the panels, so any lean or height mismatch in the run shows up as worksurfaces that do not meet cleanly and overheads that sit at different heights along a wall. Get the whole run level and plumb first, then hang. Correcting it afterward means unloading everything you have already fitted.
Use the base rails for the cabling route
HON puts metal base rails on these systems specifically to give quick access to data and power and to keep networking concealed. That is the route to plan cabling through, and as with any panel system the moment to pull low-voltage cable is while the run is being built rather than after it is finished and loaded. If a data technician is involved, their access window is the same window the installers are working in.
Take advantage of the angled connectors at the planning stage
The two and three-way 120 degree connectors exist to make non-rectangular arrangements work, and they open up layouts that a purely 90 degree grid cannot. That is a design decision to make on the drawing rather than a discovery on install day, because the connector count and the panel sizes both change. If the space is awkward, or you want workstations that face each other at an angle rather than in rows, it is worth asking about them before the order is placed.
Remember what else the panels are rated to carry
Accelerate panels are designed to work with other HON products, including their desks and storage lines, which is useful when a project mixes new panels with existing furniture. It is worth confirming compatibility for the specific pieces you intend to hang rather than assuming, particularly on a mixed or partly secondhand project, since what a panel will accept depends on the panel line as much as on the accessory.
Before installation day
Work the connector count off the layout, by type, and confirm it against the order separately from the panel count.
Confirm the exact line and generation of any existing panels you are extending or matching.
Where the layout allows, specify wider panels to reduce joints, hardware and build time.
Plan the cabling route through the base rails and schedule the data technician alongside the build.
Decide on angled or 120 degree arrangements at drawing stage, since they change the parts list.
Arrange power whips or poles if needed, which are an additional cost, and a licensed electrician for the building connection.
Who this is really for
Organizations that expect to change shape. HON sits at the practical end of the systems furniture market, and the universal connector is a genuinely good answer to the thing that actually costs money over a decade, which is not the first install but every change after it.
It also suits anyone buying into the used market, which is large for this brand precisely because the systems last and come apart cleanly. Secondhand HON is often excellent value, and the thing to get right is the parts list rather than the panels.
The case for a professional install is the same as the case for the system: it is designed to be reconfigured, and it rewards being set up properly the first time. A run that is level, square and correctly connected can be extended in an afternoon years later. One that was forced together cannot.
What an installer does
- Takes the connector count off the layout by type and checks it against the delivery before starting.
- Confirms the line and generation of existing panels before extending a system.
- Builds runs level and plumb on the adjustable glides before anything is hung.
- Sets in-line, corner, three-way and angled connections correctly so the layout matches the drawing.
- Routes data and power through the base rails, coordinated with the data technician.
- Hangs worksurfaces, storage and screens once the panel runs are set.
- Returns to add, turn or relocate panels later, which the universal connector is designed for.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
Do the connectors come with the panels?
Usually not. Connecting hardware is a separate line item, stated that way on basyx by HON and priced separately by dealers listing panels individually. It is the most common reason a delivery arrives complete on panels and cannot be assembled, so count connectors by type off the layout and check them separately.
What does universal connector actually mean?
That every panel in the system connects the same way, so you can add a panel or change direction without dismantling a run, and every panel has finished ends already. HON describes it as saving time, money and inventory. It applies within a system rather than meaning every HON panel ever made mates with every other, so confirm the line when extending or buying used.
Can I extend a HON system I already have?
Usually yes, and doing so without taking apart existing workstations is exactly what the design is for. Confirm the specific line and generation you have before ordering, since matching the system matters more than matching the fabric.
Does panel width matter?
More than most people expect. Accelerate runs from twenty inch panels up to seventy-two, and HON notes that the wider panels use fewer parts and simplify planning, ordering, installation and reconfiguration. Fewer joints means less hardware and a faster, cleaner build where the layout allows it.
How does cabling run?
Through the metal base rails, which are designed to give quick access to data and power and keep networking concealed. As with any panel system, low-voltage cable wants pulling while the run is being built rather than after it is finished and loaded, so schedule the data technician alongside the installers.
Can I do angled workstations rather than straight rows?
Yes. Two and three-way 120 degree connectors exist for exactly that and open up arrangements a 90 degree grid cannot. It is a decision for the drawing stage though, because it changes both the connector count and the panel sizes you need.
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