The Process of Production

1
The Process of Production
2
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.

3
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 Ekorness 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.

4
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.

5
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.

6
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.

7
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
  machinists ID label is stick into every cushion.

8
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 its destination.