Use of optical measurement techniques in furniture design

Measuring Systems: ARAMIS, TRITOP

Keywords: Wood properties, wooden structure, timber

Bertil Enquist (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden)

May 2005

The process of furniture design can be made much more efficient by use of optical scanning for determining the geometry of a structure, and of optical techniques for deformation measurement of materials and structures loaded in different ways. Optical scanning can substantially reduce the time elapsing between the approval of a prototype and the start of its production. The method can be of considerable help in different stages of the design process by providing geometrical descriptions for calculations and for further processing by CAD-software, as well as in manufacturing, regarding the steering of machines and the control of production. Optical measurement techniques, when used in material and structural testing, provide considerably more information than conventional techniques do. The information from optical measurements used together with calculations allows material properties to be determined accurately. These properties can then be used as input in simulations of structures subjected to different loads. In the verification of computer-simulated behavior involving either the entire structure or parts of it, optical measurement techniques can ensure accuracy and reliability, thanks in part to the visual images that are produced. Since tests for verification purposes are expensive to perform, it is important to obtain as accurate and reliable information as possible, reducing the number of tests needed.

A prototype of a stackable wooden armchair was used as an example of how optical measurement techniques can be employed as a central element in the design process. The geometry of the chair was measured by scanning. Thereafter, the chair was subjected to full-scale testing by the seat and the backrest being loaded simultaneously at different loading levels. At each level, the 3D-coordinates of a large number of different markers mounted on the chair were determined. Two examples of how optical measurement techniques can be used in material testing are also presented.

The complete publication in English is available, please use the .pdf Download.