Finite element analysis of wooden chair strength in free drop

Abstract

Wooden furniture is being widely used in all countries due to its convenience and being produced from the natural raw material. In furniture design esthetic, ergonomics and safety are the main criteria. Safety means the strength of furniture. Unfortunately, most of the time the strength of furniture is not taken into account in design as much as esthetic and ergonomics. This leads to the use of excess material meaning high cost or usage of less material causing some dangers in use. In literature, the first study of finite element method (FEM) in furniture design was in 1966. The technological developments in software and hardware promoted those studies. In those researches, the strength analysis had been done for different kinds of wood. In one of the latest studies, irregular types of sitting on the chair had been analyzed by FEM. In our study, the chair produced from southern red oak (Quercus falcata), pine red (Pinus resinosa) and Spruce Engelmann (Picea engelmannii) wood are simulated by free drop from two different heights defined in packaging standards. The strength at different parts and corners of the chair is analyzed as free dropped on its front legs by ANSYSTM. In this study, some suggestions are developed for furniture designers and manufacturers.