The Furniture Manufacturing Process: From Logs to Lumber

Finding logs from highly regulated forests

It begins with finding logs that come from highly regulated forests, which are operated under the highest environmental standards possible. This specifically helps with sustainability. The Sawmill begins by cutting the logs into what is known as rough lumber, which will be graded in three primary ways — species, length and thickness.

Drying Process

Kiln Drying The kiln drying process is a process in which heat generated by steam from kilns are used to dry the lumber to a moisture content that reaches between 6-8 percent. The steam in these kilns are fuelled by wood-fired boilers in which all of the wood is either a bi-product of the sawmill itself or plant operations. Once the lumber has been kiln dried, it will be regraded. This process can take up to 30 days.

Rough Mill

Once the drying process has been completed, the lumber will enter the next phase, which is the rough mill. This is where the lumber will be cut, planed and glued. This is also the phase in which the wood will be processed into panels that are used to make furniture. When a company is able to manage the entire process from raw materials to the finished product, it is possible to completely control the quality of the product.

Finish Mill

Once the wood has been rough milled, it will be sent to the finish mill, where it gets cut into specific pieces to make furniture parts for specific designs. The quality control monitoring in the finish mill is ran at an exceptionally high level.

UV Finishing

Once the furniture parts pass all of the quality control checks, they will be moved on to the next phase, which is urethane application. With UV finishing, we are able to use state-of-the-art ultraviolet cured urethane to finish the wood. For reference, this type of finishing is the same type that is used on hard wood flooring. It's extremely durable, making it resistant to abrasions, chemical exposure and other damage. It also withstands extreme temperatures and humidity.

Assembly

Once the wood has been completely processed and finished it will be ready to enter the assembly process. During this phase, the wood will still be observed to make sure that no flaws were missed during earlier phases. The final assembly uses pressure, glue and bolts to ensure durability and longevity. Having control over the entire construction process, being able to take it from raw wood to the finished product, provides the highest level of control to ensure the best quality possible. It also allows us to control efficiency and productivity.