Top Ten PDFs - on Production

Though nothing in life is free, reports, newsletters, dissertations and guides in PDF on the Web, available at no charge, come close. And as most "free" things are made available for a reason, you should be cautious. Having said that, for the cost of toner and paper the following 10 PDFs are an information bargain.

This second part of the series includes PDFs about furniture manufacturing, materials, safety and management. The first part focused on the design process, and the last part (in the next VCR issue) will cover sustainable furniture design and manufacturing.

(To download any item click on cover image.)

Edge-Glued Panel Layup Operations

This NCSU published article describes the panel layup operation from initial gang or rip-line sawing through development of a gluable edge to colour matching, grain matching and panel sizing. The author considers moisture content related problems to be the biggest cause of diminished yields in panel layup manufacture.

Shrinking and Swelling of Wood and its Effect on Furniture

". . . more than 90 per cent of all problems with wood involve moisture. For those who ignore basic wood-moisture relationships, that is probably a conservative estimate," Bruce Hoadley Understanding Wood. If you can't afford the book, this PDF is the next best thing. No time to download? Then remember, "the moisture content of wood will always come into equilibrium with the relative humidity of the air surrounding it."

Adhesive Bonding of Wood Materials: Chapter 9, Wood Handbook

Although the Wood Handbook is aimed at the construction/engineering sector, this chapter includes good information for wooden furniture manufacturers. In fact, lack of knowledge of adhesion science may rival Bruce Hoadley's comment above regarding the most common wood manufacturing problem. (Purchase the Wood Handbook in hard copy from Amazon.)

Wood Furniture Components: Lean Manufacturing Concepts

This case study by Mississippi State University investigates the application of lean manufacturing to the furniture industry. The authors describe how to prepare a product-grouping matrix for volume parts and the use of conveyors and machinery placement to create efficient flow-lines. The study includes a glossary and references for further research.
 
 

Pine of the Times Furniture: Sample Furniture Manufacturing Business Plan

Despite the cutesy title, smaller-scale contemporary furniture companies will find this business plan, written for an "imaginary" start-up business, easy to adapt to their own needs. In addition to a series of sample financial statements and cash-flow projections, the PDF also includes sections on marketing, mission statements, management, risk, pricing and regulation. Also available in French.

Hardwoods of North America

This report lists the properties of 53 North American hardwoods. Organized alphabetically by genus and then common names, the listings for each species include distribution, general features, density, mechanical properties, drying/shrinkage values, kiln drying schedule, workability and common uses.
 
 

Alusion Expanded aluminium panel technical specifications

If you place a high priority on unique design, incorporating unusual new materials is likely to give you an edge. Alusion's expanded-aluminium panels definitely fit into the new material category. They are available in user-friendly .5" and 1" thickness 4' x 8' sheets and can be fabricated using industrial-grade woodworking equipment at high rpm.

Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

Although VCR covers safety in depth elsewhere, and many countries issue woodworking safety leaflets, this OSHA PDF covers the topic in one comprehensive publication. The manual primarily focuses on machine guarding (safety) and wood dust (health) hazards and their controls. It also includes information on fire, explosion, chemical, electrical and flying object hazards.

Innovate or Evaporate: Business Concept Innovation in the Furniture Industry . . .

This research paper from Mississippi State University covers the effects of globalization on the American furniture industry. However, the issues presented by Steven Bullard have implications worldwide. He challenges the reader to look at alternative business models that replace inventory with information, develop new alliances and partnerships and aggressively build customer loyalty.

Low-VOC/HAP Wood Furniture Coatings: A Research Study for the EPA

This Environmental Protection Agency publication focuses furniture finishing technologies that reduce pollution and health hazards - high-solids, waterborne, ultra-violet and powder coatings. Most of the PDF is case studies of 25 American manufacturers (including Knoll) and their experiences upgrading their finishing procedures. Warning - at 7,820KB, this PDF may take more time to download.