The Process of Production

Wooden department The first process of production is the wooden department. Here, layers of European beech wood, are glued and shaped using high temperatures and high pressure. This is done by robots which reads blanks optically. Two-component glue is hardened using high frequency waves. (These are similar to microwaves) The robots also drill, grind and polish the wood by reading blanks. Operators connect the legs to the ring using a combination of adhesive and nails. The bases are stained, varnished, polished and then varnished again in order to get an effective finish. Finally, the base is fitted with a sliding ring and an arm wrest support. It is then inspected and moved into storage.

Steel department The majority of the steel produced by this department is used for Stressless chairs. The Stressless factory relies heavily on efficient production, and assembly and of standardized components. The work stations and tools used in the factory were developed and produced by Ekornes’s own staff. The factory consumes large quantities of raw materials. It goes through more than two million meters of steel tubing a year. The steel department undertakes shaping, welding and other sorts of steel creation in order to produce their products.

Epoxy and Leather department Excessive grease is removed using a soap solution rather than chemicals. This process is environmentally friendly due to the breakdown of organic impurities using Aerobe bacteria. Epoxy powder is applied to the desired parts using electro-static means. It is then taken by the conveyor into the oven where the powder is melted onto the steel components. The vast majority of Stressless products are made in leather. This leather has been tested in order to meet international standard. Ekornes use more than 15 000 hides per day. The majority of the leather is purchased from Italy and South America, especially Argentina.

Block moulding This department produces the block moulded cold foam, which is used in most types of seating and matresses. Computers control he technology and workers adjust the width of the block. Chemicals which are transported in tubes, form a gas which cause the foam to expand. Each block is two meters wide, one meter high and thirteen meters long. They are very compact. Only flame retardant foam is used in Stressless products. The blocks are then hardened before being cut.

Foamed plastic factory The backrest and seat cushions are important components in Stressless comfort. The source of this comfort is from the use of polyurethane cold foam. The steel frames are integrated into the cold foam. The moulds are filled with foam and raw materials, to which the flame retardant melamine has been added. By using computers and controlling climate, the highest quality process of moulding can be achieved. The seats and backrests move through a machine so that the hollow cells can be crushed. They are then stabilized for 24 hours to achieve the right quality of foam. Glue is put onto the moulded cold foam, which will ensure the correct degree of softness. The foam is then cut and the offcuts are ground up and remolded as rebound foam.

Cutting and Stitching department Cutting leather is a tricky but plausible process if experienced people undertake the task. Leather is a natural material with wrinkles, scars and natural color variation. Therefore, the hides must be assessed before going into the cutting machine. The blemishes can be graded according to distinctness and then hidden or exhibited on the furniture. The finished pieces are sorted for transport to the stitching department. The manufacture of covers is the most expensive part of the production due to time, material and labour. The machine workers work in teams and have a different model given to them to work with. The machinist’s ID label is stick into every cushion.

Upholstering, assembly and packing Upholstering is done manually using a vacuum. This is a time consuming operation, however, helps to give the chair the right design, tailoring and shape. The quality is also checked during this process, and any products that do not fit the standards are rejected. The polythene is then removed and recycled. Packing is also done manually in order to perform the final vital inspection. Once approved, the product is marked with a production code. The seat cushion is fitted to the base prior to packing. Once the parts are properly packed the product information, assembly instruction, and other labeling is added. The product is then transported to it’s destination.