Project description
New software brings mass customisation to furniture
The production of unique goods at scale is a business model designed to meet the growing individualisation of demand. Mass customisation is a strategic mechanism that can be applied in most business sectors apart from furniture. In this case, a new type of digital innovation is necessary. The EU-funded 3DConfigurator project will make it possible for clients to customise furniture design via their parametric design software FORMBAR. The process of design, conversion into optimal milling data and products will be highly integrated, and mathematical algorithms ensure the functionality of models. The project’s unique application will halve production costs, opening the technology for the mass market.
Objective
Mass customization is finding its way into innumerable areas of daily life, e.g. textiles, shoes, as consumer strive for individuality. 84 million customers bout furniture online in the EU. The preconditions for mass furniture are enabled by digitization. Yet there is no solution for affordable individualized furniture representing a tremendous unexploited market.
FORMBAR, our novel parametric design software based on mathematical-physical-architectural principles, is the enabling technology allowing customers for the first time to freely shape their furniture individually. In this Phase 2 project FORMBAR will be 100% automated. With simple mouse movements, the customer designs a photo-realistically rendered 3D model and thus constantly inspects his created piece of furniture visually with regard to the selected materiality and colour.
By directly integrating the machine specifications into the design process, the self-generated 3D piece of furniture is automatically converted into an optimized cutting pattern and produced cost-effectively using state-of-the-art CNC milling machines. The generated milling data are sent to one of the more than 100 carpenters of OKINLAB in close vicinity to the customer. FORMBAR covers the entire furniture manufacturing process 100% automated, from design to production, in a single application. In combination with mathematically implied algorithms, OKINLAB can guarantee the functionality as well as the producibility of the furniture while at the same time implementing a scalable business model. With FORMBAR mass customization of individual furniture becomes affordable for the first time.
OKINLAB with its team of 16 employees from software development, architecture, design, marketing, has developed a configurator in the past selling more than 1,500 pieces of furniture as of today. By automation of FORMBAR costs of the furniture is reduced by 50% opening the technology for the mass market with a potential of €25.3 billion.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineering
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcolors
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware development
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringtextiles
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementbusiness models
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
66111 SAARBRUCKEN
Germany
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.