Giving Furniture Testing a Leg Up

• Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
• Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization

• Consumer Goods

• Product Research & Development
• Quality Assurance

• Predictive Quality Analytics
• Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing

• Software Design & Engineering Services
• System Integration

The furniture industry requires rigorous testing to ensure products meet safety and quality standards. This process is costly and time-consuming, often resulting in significant expenses for manufacturers when designs fail. An independent test house aimed to reduce this burden by providing a virtual testing tool to predict whether chair designs would pass or fail before physical testing.

The customer in this case study is an independent assessment organization, commonly referred to as a 'test house,' that specializes in testing furniture to ensure it meets European and American quality standards (EN, BS, ISO, and ANSI). They test hundreds of different chairs annually, providing certification that allows these products to be sold in stores. The test house sought to streamline the testing process for their clients, who are primarily chair manufacturers and designers. By offering a virtual testing tool, they aimed to help these clients predict the success of their designs before undergoing costly and time-consuming physical tests. This initiative was driven by the need to reduce the financial and operational burden on manufacturers, who often face significant expenses and delays when their designs fail to meet the required standards.

Continuum Blue, a COMSOL Certified Consultant, developed a numerical simulation app using COMSOL Multiphysics® software. The app was designed to predict a chair's response to standard loading tests, incorporating various quality criteria and allowing for the testing of different chair models, shapes, and materials. The simulation included chair geometry, floor, blocks to hold the legs in place, and loading plates for the back and base to mimic physical tests. The app analyzed deformation, mechanical stress, and points of failure, providing a comprehensive assessment of whether a chair design would pass or fail. The Continuum Blue team also built a customized user interface that allowed users to quickly run virtual tests by changing inputs related to geometry, load conditions, and material properties. The app was distributed through a local installation of COMSOL Server™, enabling multiple users to access and use the tool. The test house plans to use COMSOL Server to share the app with clients worldwide, further streamlining the testing process.

• The virtual testing tool allows chair manufacturers and designers to import their own chair geometry, select materials, define contact and loading conditions, and check results against test requirements.
• The app provides immediate feedback on whether a chair design would pass or fail, reducing the need for costly and time-consuming physical tests.
• The tool is intuitive and usable for engineers and designers at all stages of the development process, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

• The virtual testing tool reduces the need for physical tests, saving manufacturers thousands of dollars in design changes and re-testing.
• The app allows for quicker assessments, significantly reducing the time required to bring a chair design to market.