Conceptualization of Industry 4.0 technology for the production of tailor-made furniture – a case study

Abstract

Production is becoming more customer-focused as it departs from delivering standardized mass products to market segments, and the emerging Industry 4.0 technologies render this much easier than before. These technologies enable two-way information exchange with customers throughout all the steps of product development, particularly in terms of tailor-made products. This study aims at presenting proposals of implementing Industry 4.0 technologies into the process of tailored products, where the product is customized for the customer from the start and where adjustments are also made at the manufacturing stage. The study also aims to build a concept of intensification of customer contact and to improve the process flow by applying Industry 4.0 technologies. The study’s subject is tailor-made furniture production, with individually designed products that are manufactured and installed at a customer’s facilities. The company in the study operates on a small scale. The study employs a case study methodology that shows how the process can be improved in terms of real-time effective customer contact and process flow. The huge potential of 3D visualization as well as augmented and virtual reality technologies are also demonstrated. The study concludes with several directions for further development of existing technology solutions.

Keywords

• product development
• industry 4.0
• customized manufacturing
• furniture
• conceptual study