Ekornes: Stressless and efficient Furniture production with the new Versalis

Ekornes’ Industry-4.0 approach to furniture production

Founded in 1934, Ekornes has made a name for itself as multi-national furniture producer, specializing in premium quality pieces by combining Norwegian know-how with advanced technology. With comfort as its focus, Ekornes is well-known for its aesthetically pleasing Stressless range of chiropractic recliners and sofas. The company has always been technologically driven, due to the high wages in Norway, equipping their employees with as many as 150 robots. Sharing the same vision for technology and the future, Lectra and Ekornes have been partners for almost 20 years, and the 11 Versalis solutions they have installed nine years ago have helped them transition from traditional die presses to automated leather cutting.
 

Ekornes upgrades to the new Versalis to meet rising consumer expectations

Today’s furniture consumers are expecting better lead times, more variants, and environmental sustainability. Ekornes knew that there was only one way to satisfy these new demands. As 90% of their production is in leather, cutting it faster, more efficiently and achieving a better yield would help them overcome these challenges. When Lectra offered them the opportunity to try out the new Versalis, the forward-thinking company took it up. During the pilot test last December, the company was particularly impressed by the AR (Augmented Reality) digit that directly allows users to project markings on the hide while identifying imperfections. This was a big leap from having to do their own markings on the computer screen. Ekornes then decided to implement this feature along with the new LeatherSuite and leather reporting system.
 

An automated leather-cutting solution with a continuous feedback loop

Since adopting the new Versalis, the leather cutting process has improved tremendously, mainly because the solution can now inform the operators in real time about the quality of each cutting job. The AR digit not only speeds up the leather-scanning process by being a better visual tool but also enables users to discover the parts they’ve forgotten to mark. With LeatherSuite, they have managed to achieve up to two percent increase in leather yield, thanks to its powerful nesting program. The Leather Reporting system allows them to track and analyze the performance of each machine and operator. With such information on hand, they can make better decisions and continuously improve their cutting performance. This smart cutting process has enabled them to reduce material waste, achieve a higher leather yield and produce at a faster pace.