Furniture Units Research Articles

Exploring Sedad Hakkı Eldem’s furniture sketches: merging modernity with the traditional and the vernacular

Sedad Hakkı Eldem, primarily an architect, was a prominent member of the group that sought a path to modernization that preserved elements of the traditional and the vernacular in seeking a Turkish national design identity starting in the late 1920s. Eldem was inspired by traditional Turkish Houses and extended his design thinking to interiors and furniture. This study explores Eldem’s interior illustrations and furniture sketches, part of the inventory of 23 sketchbooks that also contained personal notes and his internal dialogue recorded in Paris, Berlin, and Munich between 1928 and 1930. In these cities of Western and Central Europe, Eldem aimed to incorporate Modern design and his visionary Turkish House projects, which give references to the local heritage. The content of these sketchbooks reveal Eldem’s main goal: to incorporate objects from European domestic life of the late 1920s, whether it be chaise lounges or wall-mounted lighting units, with traditional elements, such as built-in closets or seating bays. Through the lens of the revised sketches of recurring themes dating to 1936, in the aftermath of Eldem’s return to İstanbul, the architect’s attitude toward the refinement, appropriation, and modernization of traditional furniture units is discussed within the framework of the concept of design, national identity, and the practice of Gesamtkunstwerk.

Investigating the Use of 3D Printing and the Integration of BIM in Manufacturing Furniture Units

Abstract 3D printing is an emerging technology and one of the main aspects that can help in its success is BIM (Building Information Modelling). Despite recent interest in this topic, research indicates that to date no framework is in place that highlights the integration of BIM with 3D printing technology in the furniture design and production industry. This research delves deep into the use of 3D printing with the aid of BIM tools to produce furniture units. Through an analytical and experimental approach, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework that integrates BIM within the 3D printing process of small-scale furniture units. To gather data, the existing literature has been reviewed thoroughly and a framework was developed and adopted in the experimental study; where a BIM software was used to simulate a piece of furniture and measure the printing process against a set of criteria such as cost, material, and energy consumption. Results of the experiment were analysed and validated by applying comparative analysis between the interview with an expert in the interior 3D printing field and the results of the simulation. The research provided key aspects to be considered in the 3D printing of interior furniture pieces in addition to outlining the relevant limitations as well as the possible opportunities for further research.

Augmented Reality based Home Decor App

Abstract: In this paper, AR based Home Decor App is implemented which uses FAST corner detection. The Proposed System implements Home Decor App for furniture units using concept of Augmented Reality, which changes world of E-commerce by providing best solution to the customers while purchasing online products. The customer buys the product after virtual trial, which is possible through the concept of Augmented Reality. This is just completely new experience to online customers

Organizational Methods of Furniture and Their Aesthetic Relationships in Interior Design

     Different styles appeared in the design of furniture and its aesthetic organization in the interior space and one of the most prominent styles and movement that emerged in the time of modernity in the year (1914-1880) art novo movement, a French word meaning new art, an international style of art, architecture and design that reached the peak in popularity at the beginning of the twentieth century and characterized by very renewable designs, In 1931-1917, the De Steele movement emerged, and De Steele distinguished itself from others with types of abstract art in the use of geometric shapes and composite constructions. In 1933-1919, the Bauhaus School emerged and is considered one of the most important intellectual methods of supporting modern thought, where it presented in its buildings and the arrangement of its space and furniture organizations a model of simplicity in form, mass and size and the fact that it gives dazzle and beauty, and returns the design to geometric shapes, and in a year(1940-1920) The Art Deco movement emerged as one of the methods of the trend of modernity in design, and then different styles and trends emerged in the mid-1960s and early 1970s and was named after postmodernism, one of its most prominent pioneers Robert Venturi, the famous saying "Less is Bore" that supports chaos and complexity, as opposed to the theory of architect Ms. Van Droh "less is more". In the 20th century, the styles were launched from the movement and contemporary trends and were characterized by many scientific and technological events that had a direct impact on aesthetic relationships in the form of architecture and interior space and then the design of furniture and styles, most notably abstract and dismantling, and pop art. The problem of research lies in the lack of logical vision in the analysis of methods and trends organization furniture and its aesthetic relationship in interior design, which has become contemporary in our time through the introduction of currents and design methods coming without taking into account the suitability of the residential space aesthetically, and the problem of research in its attempt to answer the following questions: How do furniture units contribute to the design treatments of the housing system in embodying the aesthetic and functional dimension in residential interior spaces and upgrading the reality of those spaces? The importance of this research lies in clarifying and clarifying the relationship between furniture units and internal space aesthetically, which is an innovative and complementary relationship that is sometimes carried out without study, so it became important to reach the balance in the aesthetic and creative system and document it to apply it to the design of residential interior spaces. In the time of modernity and postmodernism, furniture has achieved the impact of modern trends and their development from the materials and materials contemporary shown by current technology, most notably art deco and the School of Bauhaus, and Bob Art Art Novo, and furniture is one of the most prominent factors that send intellectual address to realize the aesthetic and functional aspect gives a mental feeling suggesting unity within a homogeneous system, and agrees on all scientific and knowledge rules in space One of the most important influences on contemporary furniture and its formation in the local interior space is cultural and social values, and even if the methods and trends differ, cultural values will not differ in one society, but may vary from one designer to another according to his culture and personal styles, and values may vary from class or social group directed to design work to one class or another.

THE STUDY OF SME’S PERFORMANCE IN FURNITURE CARVING INDUSTRY

The center of SMEs carving furniture in Karduluk village, Sumenep Regency in Madura, East Java which has dynamic and uncertain environment and also high level of competition. Such situation needs adequate managerial capabilities so that SME players can sustain their existence from external competition. In spite of its thriving existence, the industry has some potential problems, which need to be identified The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of the entrepreneurship orientation, the capability of business network towards the performance of SMEs through the commitment of the businessmen. This research employed quantitative analysis, which used AMOS as its method of analysis. Data collection was conducted by distributing questionnaires to 105 craftman who were also managers of craving furniture units. This research found that businessmen orientation affected the performance of carving furniture. Business networking capability affected the performance of carving furniture. Behavioral commitment had a partial mediation impact on entrepreneurship orientation towards the performance of carving furniture. Behavioral commitment had a full mediation impact on entrepreneurship orientation towards the performance of carving furniture.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Emitted from Coated Furniture Units

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the main source influencing the overall air quality of an environment. It is a well-known fact that coated furniture units, in the form of paints and varnishes, emit VOCs, reducing the air quality and resulting in significant health problems. Exposure time to such compounds is also an important parameter regarding their possible health effects. Such issues also have a greater influence when the exposure period is extended. The main objective of this study was to review some of the important factors for the emission of VOCs from coated furniture, from the perspective of material characteristics, as well as health concerns. Some methods for controlling VOC emissions to improve indoor air quality, from the point of view recent regulations and suggestions, are also presented in this work.

Identifying Unspoken Desires and Demands: A Collection of Design Ideas for Living Room Furniture and Zones

In this study, the outcomes of a particular elective course — Furniture Design and Everyday Life — were analyzed and discussed, in which the students were given an assignment regarding the development of design ideas for living room units. The common living room discourse established by professional actors such as designers, manufacturers, and marketing experts requires the user to undertake a set of generic activities like watching television, eating, hosting, relaxing, sitting, etc. However, one of the important tenets of design thinking is applying user-based research for discovering unarticulated user needs and providing a source of inspiration for design practice. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the emphatic approach of design thinking would contribute well to the area of living room furniture design, which has been a realm often dominated by stereotypes and normative configurations. During my elective course, industrial design sophomores were expected to develop design ideas considering the research analysis regarding respondents’ desires and demands in the living room context. This article overlays the students’ design ideas for new zones, furniture units and products that addressed the activities of studying, dancing, exercising, pet rearing and playing PlayStation games.

Glossiness Evaluation of Coated Wood Surfaces as Function of Varnish Type and Exposure to Different Conditions

The objective of this study was to evaluate the glossiness of black alder wood (Alnus glutinosa L.) samples coated with two varnish types as a function of exposure to dry heat and artificial aging. The chemical resistance of the coated samples to cold liquids was also evaluated. Based on the findings in this work, it appears that the varnish types and their structural differences influenced the overall glossiness of the coated samples. The UV varnish exhibited higher gloss values than those coated with the water-borne product within the range of silky gloss and silky matte grades. The heat exposure influenced the surface glossiness of the UV-coated samples more than the samples coated with water-borne varnish. The overall gloss values of the samples decreased with the exposure time to artificial aging, resulting in no layer cracks. The cold household liquids left less visible traces on the surfaces and alcohol was found to be the strongest agent. This study could have practical applications in the furniture industry to produce value-added furniture units according to their specific conditions of indoor use.

The Concept of Fluidity and its Role on Formulating the Scenic Design

Nature in the universe is full of creative shapes, and irregular complex design formations such as clouds, seas, dunes, etc., the designers admired these curved formations and began to simulate their complex structures, but they faced a problem in the difficulty of implementing with traditional techniques in design. With the development in the digital revolution, mathematics, biology, and computer software in the twenty-first century has given rise to many complex designs and architectural trends. Designers benefited from it and enabled them to create complex designs with flowing shapes inspired by nature that cannot be designed using traditional techniques, and modern trends in design depend on the concept of form-finding and not making the form as it was in the past. The research deals with the concept of fluidity as one of the recent trends in digital design and clarifies the concept of fluidity and its characteristics and the possibility of creating innovative design changes in the design process. The first person to invent the term fluidity was the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1990 AD, and he made it the primary language of his architectural projects, after which many designers began to apply the concept of fluidity in their architectural projects such as architect. Zaha Hadid is an architect whose work is characterized by fluidity and free dynamism. Zaha Hadid's work embraces comprehensive and variable architectural aesthetics that depend on distortion, shaping, extension, compression, and movement of shapes. Many furniture designers have also taken inspiration from the concept of fluidity in designing various furniture units such as Zaha Hadid and. Emmanuel Babel, Igor Solovyov, Dan Mulder, and others The researcher applied the concept of fluidity and was inspired by it experimentally in designing several different theatrical scenes. The researcher concluded that it is possible to take advantage of the capabilities and formal aesthetics of the concept of fluidity to enrich the creative process of design and create high complexity and dynamic designs suitable for various theatrical performances that could not be designed with traditional capabilities. At the end of the research, the researcher reached conclusions and recommendations.

The Degree of Utilization of Modular Units in Children's Furniture and ways to develop their Designs.

The problem of this study is summarized in the difficulty of changing furniture units almost in short periods and providing suitable furniture for children in the stages of their lives that they are going through, because it is considered as an expensive material aspect that cannot be achieved by every family, as a result of the clear change in the stages of growth and physical change It aimed to show the degree of benefit from the synthetic units of children's furniture, and the study community reached nine laboratories in the city of Baghdad, and the sample was chosen in the intentional way, and the most important results were: Most of the models' bodies took the traditional shape in design, the primacy of the brown color for most of the models. The designs of some models are pluralistic (implicit) for more aesthetic than utilitarian purposes as in the models, and expressive characteristics of that age group were not available to design children's furniture that meets the child's desires and through which the aesthetic display of the body is made, but is limited to direct and explicit functional expression Coniferous wood was the highest in use in designing children's furniture.

The way of using recycled cardboard in the Production of sustainable furniture units

as the continuous decay of the cultivated areas, our environment also suffers from the great inflation in the amount of paper wastes resulting from various daily life activities and occupying the second place in value after iron wastes if compared to other wastes. The Egyptian annually consumption of paper is nearly 500,000 tons as mentioned in the pressreader in 2017.In an attempt to exploit this huge amount of paper wastes that could be considered as a fortune and a solution for an environmental problem, the research aims to discuss the ability of using recycled cardboard in the production of sustainable furniture units. Some computer programs and modern techniques can be used in the design and production of various and sustainable furniture units could be stated as the research hypothesis.The studies and experiments have concluded that the recycled cardboard sheets as well as the reused ones have proved to be highly endurance and compression resistant when used with specific geometrical fittings and constructions in a way that could easily lead to the production of a wide range of different and varied furniture units such as chairs, tables, benches and beds having compatible designs with the nature of the recycled cardboard which is used in the production and implementation of these units.

جماليات فن الماندالا کاتجاه ابتکار وإبداع بتجميل وحدات الأثاث ومکملات الزينة ودمجها بفراغات المسکن

يتم تجميل المسکن بإضافة لمسات فنية تضفي على غرف المسکن طابعا مميزا يعبر عن شخصيات أصحابه, بغض النظر عن مستوى الأثاث أو نوع الطراز للمنزل فلابد من إضافة اللمسات الفنية الجميلة التي تجعل من المسکن لوحة فنية يستمتع الفرد بداخلها, وفن الماندالا يساهم في إضافة اللمسات الفنية الإبداعية في التصميم الداخلي للمسکن. يتبع البحث المنهج الوصفي التحليلي کما يتبع المنهج التجريبي، ومن أهم نتائج البحث: 1- ساعد فن الماندالا عملية الابتکار والإبداع التصميمية لدى المصمم الداخلي لکونه احد الفنون العالمية الجميلة. 2- من خلال التطبيق التجريبي حقق فن الماندالا التناغم التصميمي والجمالي بين وحدات الأثاث ومکملات الزينة وفراغات المسکن وإبراز القيم الجمالية والتشکيلية المبتکرة في التصميم. ومن أهم توصيات البحث: 1- ضرورة التوسع في الدراسات العلمية والبحثية التي من شأنها التعرف على الأنماط المختلفة لفن الماندالا والتي تحقق نجاح في الجانب الوظيفي والجمالي في التصميم الداخلي للمسکن المعاصر. 2- ضرورة تثقيف طالبات کلية التصاميم بجماليات فن الماندالا حيث يستطيع استخدامها في جميع التخصصات والمجالات. Aesthetics of mandala art as a trend of innovation and creativity by beautifying furniture units and decorative accessories and merging them with the spaces of the home Research Summary The housing would be beautified by adding artistic touches that would give a distinctive character in rooms which would express the personalities of the owners, regardless of the level of furniture or the type of style for the house, it must add appealing artistic touches that would make the house an artistic painting which would make the individual enjoy the interior view, as Mandala’s art contributes to adding a creative interior touch. The internal procedure of the housing research, follows the descriptive analytical method as well as the experimental approach, the most important results of the research as follows: 1-Mandala art helped the process of innovation and creativity design for the interior designer, as it is one of the beautiful international arts. 2-Through experimental applications, the art of Mandala has achieved the design and aesthetic harmony between furniture units, decorative accessories and housing spaces, highlighting the innovative aesthetic and plastic values in design. recommendations of the research: 1- The necessity of expanding scientific and research studies that will identify the different styles of Mandala art, which achieves success in the functional and aesthetic aspect of the interior design of contemporary housing. 2- The necessity of educating students of the College of Design with the aesthetics of Mandala art, as it can be used in all mojors and fields.

Furniture aesthetics according to compatibility between Fractional geometry and golden ratio

Furniture can be considered as one of the most important elements inside the interior spaces because of its multiple features that enable it to meet the human requirements and interact with them in a convenient and comfortable manner. That beauty is achieved by integrating the dimensions of visual and sensual aspects together. To reach unique furniture units characterized by visual aesthetics and concrete functional dimensions designers must be aware of the sources of those configurations that the designer can refer to quotes, and these sources are summarized in two main directions. The first is the existence of determinants of its design and technology to organize a set of elements within the framework of a ruler of the foundations and standards, and secondly through the development of knowledge production in the modern era that results integration of science and advanced technology. Modern sciences have a special structural foundation that contribute to the construction of contemporary furniture units, especially if it is incorporated with the rules of the “Golden Ratio”, that becomes an experimental entrance and a creative feature in the field of visual and applied arts. The problem of research is the result of the proliferation of many modular furniture that lack the foundations and aesthetic standards to form the exterior, and the problem of this research is determined by how to take advantage of the characteristics of “fractal engineering” and the rules of “golden ratio” in the design of furniture units characterized by a contemporary and aesthetic dimension. The research aims to harmonize fractional geometry with the golden ratio to enrich the aesthetics of furniture formation. The research paper deals with the concept of fractal geometry, its importance and characteristics, also its relevance to nature and golden ratios and how to benefit from them in the development of innovative vocabulary for contemporary furniture units. The research concluded by conducting some design experiments on furniture units, also the most important results of the research that there is a close relationship between fractional geometry and the golden ratio, where they share several characteristics such as self-similarity, repetition, continuity and diversity of unit measurements and thus share the achievement of the aesthetics of furniture formation.

Supportive Technology For Integrated Design System Of Recycled Made Furniture

With the introduction of industry and technology in all areas of life (equipment and consumer goods) and changing lifestyle and form, the problems of environmental pollution, which was associated with the increase of the volume of waste resulting from industrial processes and formed during the life cycle of the product from the extraction of raw materials through manufacturing and consumption and end to disposal Therefore, I am interested in studying the descriptive analytical method of recycling theories, which we can define the process of converting waste or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or better environmental benefit, by looking for how to manage the recycling process. From the above we can summarize the research problem in pollution that causes the non-exploitation of these manufactured raw materials after their use, which contributes to the depletion of the environment, where the purpose of the research, which is to reach the best realistic results and research by creating new manufacturing technology based on Protect the environment and contribute to the recycling of these spent materials, with unlimited creativity to create new materials contribute to the development of the design process, the ultimate goal of innovation is to improve the use of resources to manage the process of recycling and achieve better results compared to Rh years. To avoid or minimize as much environmental pollution as possible, a sequence of waste management strategies and their resource and energy efficiency and productivity enhancements based on the principles of: clean production techniques, closed circuit formation (recycling), and environmentally appropriate disposal of waste and waste should be applied and implemented. Recycling plays an important role in protecting and preserving the environment by: conserving resources, reducing consumption (reducing material flow and energy consumption) and protecting the environment. For the success of the recycling process must take into account and achieve the general environmental, technical and economic requirements in addition to the technical requirements of each product and coordination between them during the process of product design. The theoretical framework of research included the study of several aspects included the study of many of the previous results of the theory of recycling, and the extent of development of these raw materials and the mechanism of creativity in the manufacture of materials and the possibility of adaptation with the elements of the interior space and furniture units, where the research gives the expected results to change the general view of these materials and the shift of thinking in These wastes begin a comprehensive process of raw materials management prior to manufacturing to reach a waste-free industry.

SPACE- SAVING AND MULTIPLE USING FURNITURE

With the recent rise in the prices of land and apartments, it was necessary to find ways to deal with this cost and how to overcome it, so the emergence of space-saving furniture or mobile furniture, which is characterized by its small size and multi-use, so it is suitable for the areas of small residential units which often do not exceed 100 meters, this is appropriate for the poor and middle classes of society, and at the same time makes us feel comfortable and happy. The research problem is determined by the absence of foundations and standards for the design of some units of multi-purpose economic furniture according to the standards and requirements of the human body and the lack of attention to the negative and health effects resulting from them on human health. The research was interested in shedding light on many ideas and designs of this space-saving furniture, which can be called “smart furniture”, as it combines many features, as it saves large spaces, especially in small homes, compared to its multiple uses, in addition to accuracy and elegance in design. The research aims to apply the theories and sound scientific foundations that must be taken into account when designing this type of furniture, which allows its users to comfort and ease of use, and to interactively control the dimensions, spaces and angles of furniture units according to their uses and purposes, in order to achieve the functional and aesthetic dimensions of the space. Among the findings, is that innovation in designing multi-use furniture leads to development in various economic and social aspects, by facilitating marriage opportunities for young people and facing the challenges of high prices and low incomes.

Modelling stiffness of furniture manufactured from honeycomb panels depending on changing climate conditions

Furniture users as a rule consider low prices, lower product weight and easy transport of furniture items to the intended location as obvious advantages. However, practically no studies in available literature are found to assess the effect of variable climate conditions on the stiffness of shelves and furniture made from honeycomb panels. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of these changes on the value of Young's modulus and on the stiffness of whole furniture units subjected to torsional loads. Tests were performed on furniture units, which elements were manufactured in five structural design variants. It was shown that the applied materials retain high quality of the furniture units only at the temperature T = 26 °C and humidity H = 40%. An increase in the values of these climate parameters to T = 28 °C and H = 85% results in a drastic deterioration of furniture quality.

Flexibility as a furnishing value in economical housing

Furniture is one of the most important elements that can be achieved by using the interior space better. The furniture design has evolved as a result of the change in interior design concepts in the light of modern technology, which is simple and light and is based on multiple functions to meet the future needs of users. The importance of flexible furniture design, which must be versatile to serve more than one function suited to the limited space of the house, and the problem of research in the lack of limited housing to the style of furnishing flexible fit Functionally and aesthetically with these spaces. Therefore, the research topic was chosen to determine the design method for functional flexibility when designing the furniture used for limited spaces to reach the highest standards of utilitarian values ​​used for the internal vacuum. The importance of the research is that it addresses the problem of furniture design to find unconventional solutions to problems Design to increase the functional efficiency and comfort of users and the research to study the applications of some flexible furniture and technology for control and analysis of the vocabulary of plastic that can determine the flexible structure in the design of furniture has reached In order to achieve a good design system in the interior space of limited spaces, the selection of balanced furniture units is complete; flexible in use to suit the nature of the space. It is lightweight and easy to store. Technology has also contributed to the development of operating methods for furniture. The design of furniture pieces of geometric shapes, easy to form away from the lines of complex engineering and decorative elements accumulated simple lines commensurate with the modern technology used in the operation of furniture The researcher designed a small-sized apartment to achieve flexibility in the The spaces are made using multi-use furniture units to provide maximum flexibility in the use of the space and to take advantage of the multiplicity of activities within the vacuum and thus draw a vision of the design style of furniture pieces of limited housing.

Dynamic furniture design in contemporary house

The speculator of the "Dynamic" term has to find clear assets for it in the universe, in the sequence of the different life rhythms, and it is clarified in God creation in the movement of galaxies and the planet. The earth revolves around the sun to produce the four seasons, and day and night as a result of its spinning. The growth of living things in itself is a movement has a dynamic nature. Despite the oldness of the term "dynamic", it has been rediscovered as an applied reality to face the difficulties which are imposed by the life requirements. Hence, there have been many design trends aimed at addressing the changing human needs and the continuous thinking of finding design solutions to confront them so the “Dynamic Architecture” trend has been appeared.. The research questions: Is the traditional fixed furniture suitable with the dynamic spaces ? Or do they need dynamic furniture that interacts with and adapts to changing human requirements? So what is the dynamic furniture? What are its design Mechanisms? And what is its output? The research aims: to reachthe dynamic concept of the furniture design and the design Mechanisms to reach aesthetic and functional values ​​additive to the residential furniture using the "dynamic movement " as a design entrance to discover an innovative design which is characterized by vitality and the interaction within the internal spaces. The importance of this research is that it deals with one of the most important elements to human which is dealt with continuously inside the dwell which is “The furniture”. It helps him to practice his activities within different spaces in a comfortable and appropriate manner , The research supposes that "The Dynamic Furniture" is a new creative perspective of the furniture units that is indispensable for its use in our time. It calls for the dynamic movement whether the movement is visual or mental resulting from the process of cognition. The research follows the analytical descriptive method to explore the elements of the research problem and analyze it and then draw the design solutions for it. Results: The idea of ​​the " dynamic furniture" has been originated from ancient times and was used across different civilizations in a primitive manner to meet the diverse needs of man, but it has been rediscovered as an applied reality to face the difficulties of life. The concept of dynamism is at the heart of the design process. The design structure of the design is only dynamic lines and disintegrating transformations resulting in the final design. The dynamism includes movement and change over time, which is achieved either objectively in the visual field through movement, followed by the formal and functional transformation, or mentally through the process of perception. There is a relationship between the technological development and the realization of the dynamics of design as it provided the opportunity for designers to produce unlimited designs that are constantly evolving with the technology development.

Convertible furniture design

Convertible furniture is used widely because of its multi-purpose and space-saving properties, but substantial professional skills are required to design practical convertible furniture. In this study, we introduce a system that allows unskilled users to design convertible furniture objects. By using a set of desired furniture units as inputs, our system generates a group of suggested convertible furniture objects, which can collapse into a compact form. The geometric problem involves connecting the furniture units via junctions so they occupy the smallest space in their compact form while still fulfilling the desired function in the expanded form. This optimization problem is non-trivial because of the very large discrete search space of the connected structures. Furthermore, there is a huge continuous space of geometric parameters where the connected units make contact due to the complex dependencies of their movements. We propose an efficient algorithm based on a tree selection approach and pre-computed junction-dependent configuration spaces to accelerate the optimization process in a high-dimensional, mixed discrete–continuous search space. We evaluated our system based on a wide range of inputs and a series of convertible furniture objects were generated. The experimental results demonstrate that our system can provide design suggestions as well as inspiring creativity among users.

Measurement of the surface roughness of wood based materials used in furniture manufacture

The objective of this work was to evaluate surface quality of wood based materials used to manufacture furniture units in Singapore. Various type commercially produced composite panels including particleboard, medium density fibreboard (MDF), plywood in addition to ten different solid wood species which are commonly used in furniture production were considered for the experiments. A stylus type profilometer and 3D image analyzer were employed to determine surface roughness of the samples. Medium density fibreboard (MDF) samples resulted in the smoothest surface with an across the sandmark average roughness (Ra) value of 5.07μm, while corresponding value for plywood specimens was 8.09μm among the composite panel samples. In the case of solid wood samples, measurements taken along and across the sandmark from the surface of the specimens measured by the stylus type profilometer, balau had the roughest surface with an Ra value of 9.85μm across the sandmark followed by beech and walnut. Pine specimens along with ash, cherry and nyatoh resulted in relatively smooth surface values. Correlation between measurements taken by two different methods, namely stylus and 3D scanning showed a good agreement with each other. Based on the findings in this work it appears that both methods can be successfully used to evaluate and to get objective numerical values on surface quality of these samples so that such initial data can be used as quality control tool to have more effective further manufacturing steps in furniture production.