Furniture Industry: Out of the Woods Thanks to Robotics
By: Julia Aidan
Submitted: 2009-06-24 00:22:41 | Word Count: 541
The furniture industry is a hands-on business - literally. Furniture manufacturing companies traditionally rely on manual labor in producing furniture and a lot of companies are still doing business this way. While there is definitely great value on the artisan skills used to create premium furniture pieces, robotics need not necessarily take away from the quality of the output.
There are many ways in which robotics can enhance the quality of furniture products. And while this industry is a bit slower in adopting robotics compared to other businesses, investments in robotics are definitely growing.
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Material Handling
Most of the processes involved in the production of furniture pieces entail heavy labor. They are also highly exhausting and repetitive so work can get monotonous. A robotics system eases these problems considerably as robots are undoubtedly the most efficient machines for handling materials.
With robots it doesn't take much effort to collect furniture parts, such as table tops, and transfer them onto a wood cutter. In some cases, there is no longer a need for the robot to drop a furniture part onto a machine only to pick it up again to be serviced on another machine. This makes for a smoother work flow which ultimately translates to speedier completion of the production process. More importantly, because robots are capable of handling such hazardous tasks, there are very few risks of physical harm, if at all.
Robotics systems are also used in tasks such as packing and palletizing where furniture needs to be packaged and stacked onto pallet bases before they can be delivered.
Furniture Effects
There are certain furniture making techniques that rely on traditional skills, such as antiquing of furniture. A lot of time and skills are devoted to achieve such premium quality items and usually, it is this workmanship that furniture businesses use to differentiate themselves from the competition.
The good news is that robotics can help achieve such "effects" on furniture just as attractively. Robotics also affords business owners a safer and more efficient means of achieving antiquing. Traditionally, this is done by manually "beating up" the furniture piece. The dangers that come along with this task are numerous and robotics eliminates all these risks. What's more, you produce a product that is both one of a kind and of high quality.
Other applications of robotics in furniture production include:
- Polishing
- Painting
- Upholstering
- Finish application
Welding
Welding is another critical area in the furniture manufacturing process. Because welded parts are mostly exposed, it is important that they be done with precision as neglecting this procedure speaks of shoddy workmanship. Nobody wants to use an ugly piece of furniture, no matter how inexpensive.
Plus, of course, there is the issue of wear and tear. The use of robotic welders guarantees that parts are attached together firmly so that your pieces are extra durable and safe to use.
Robots go through the welding process very quickly and this is advantageous because you want to get your products to your clients on time. Speed is critical to competing with other businesses as customers become more demanding with their needs.
Author Resource:-
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