Computer-aided design system for the product engineering of sofa frames

Far-Ching Lin, Purdue University

Abstract

Sofas are an important type of upholstered furniture since they are widely used in living rooms and family rooms in most homes. In general, manufacturers are much more concerned with esthetic design than with structural design in the construction of sofas since it is the esthetic rather than the structural design which ultimately results in the sale of the product to the public. Hence, an esthetically well designed sofa may, in fact, be structurally weak. Owing to advancements in the strength design of furniture, it is now possible and practical to apply scientifically based design procedures to the analysis and design of furniture. Furthermore, with the increased power of the personal computer, it is now feasible to apply complex design techniques to furniture which would have been impractical a decade ago. A computer-aided-design (CAD) system was developed in this study which can scientifically, efficiently, and safely design sofa frame with out using expensive trial and error methods. The concept of the study can be applied to other types of furniture and can serve as a basis for computer-aided-manufacture (CAM) in the future.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Eckelman, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Wood|Technology|Design|Interior design

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