New finishing system: creates lasting impression for Smed.

Canada's largest wood contract furniture maker combines a new carousel spray system with environmentally-friendly materials, to achieve a high-quality look. Calgary, Alberta-based Smed Mfg. Inc. is truly a self-sufficient enterprise. Although little more than 10 years old, this $50 million (Canadian)

Using these resources, Smed designs and manufactures desks, credenzas, chairs, files, wall systems and its brand new Legs concealed wire storage desk system. Clients include Burlington Northern Railway, Coopers and Lybrand, Software A.G. and Toyota.

To accomplish this takes a lot of manpower. Smed employs approximately 450 people. The production staff, including five custom cabinetmakers, working seven days a week in shifts of 12-hour days, four days on and four days off. All office staff work 8-hour days, five days a week. Adding to the company's commitment to reinvestment, approximately two years ago, Smed invested in two 16-gun computerized carousel sprayers for topcoating as well as new CNC sanding systems.

The finishing touch

All components produced by Smed receive a finish, whether a stain and topcoat over the veneer or a Lamena finish.

For its topcoating, Smed uses an E1 lacquer base from Pierce & Stevens, which plant manager Keith Oberg said is environmentally friendly and can be landfilled. Although currently not facing volatile organic compound (VOC) regulations as some U.S. companies are, Smed is anticipating possible Canadian air quality regulations and has begun testing with water-based finishes, said Dennis Boehm, paint shop foreman.

"We're very concerned about what's going on in the U.S.," Boehm said. "The Canadian government may set a standard in 1994 with a deadline of 1997 for reducing the percentage of VOCs."

Smed uses stains to add grain definition or color variations to veneers. If a custom color is specified, lab technician Doug Gostick will re-formulate the stain using a clear base. "One of the biggest tricks is in not overloading the color. What we're looking for is something that works fast and is consistent," Gostick said. "I keep all the records and control samples. If you come back in 10 years, we'll still have a record and be able to match the finishes."

There are approximately 3,300 samples on file, "and growing daily," Gostick said. Approximately 50 percent of Smed's customers request custom colors, Oberg added.

To create a custom color, Gostick adds one or more of the company's 28 tints to a 20 percent solids alkyd base. Color matching has taken anywhere from the standard two to three hours, up to the 38 hours it took to create "Millay River," an intermix of yellow and purple toner used for grain definition on ash veneer for Burlington Northern Railway. Stains are combined using a calibrated machine, then sent to a shaker. Application is by a Graco airless sprayer, after which stains are hand wiped for greater grain definition, Boehm said. For customers requesting a textured look, Smed applies a its own catalyzed "Lamena" finish directly to a fiberboard base using a Binks conventional spray system.

Topping it off

All veneered pieces receive a topcoat. To eliminate the chance for potential bottlenecks at the topcoating stage, three years ago Smed invested in a Venjakob 16-gun carousel sprayer. The system consists of two sets of eight guns, with each set running independent of the other. According to Boehm, the Venjakob is set to operate at approximately 5 meters per minute, moving between 5 and 5.2 meters as the appropriate speed of the carousel and product type. "We previously had two curtain coaters, but we've found this to be a lot more efficient. We also don't get fluctuations in the finish as we did with the curtain coaters," said Chris Brine, paint shop foreman.

Electronic sensors on the Venjakob read the parameters of the pieces and are programmed to spray the diameters, plus an additional 1/2 inch margin for error. This system enables the company to dramatically reduce material waste by spraying only the components, Brine said.

Wood's beauty more than skin deep

The majority of the furniture is of a composite wood base which is then either painted or veneered.

Veneer selection is given special attention at Smed. "We have our own in-house experts that we send out to select the architectural-grade veneers we use," said Keith Krusel, assistant manager of the Quality Assurance department. Primary veneer sources include Interforest and Webb.

"We sort it by color group and release it to production as required," Krusel said. Smed performs all its own veneer cutting and stitching as well as intricate veneer inlay work.

Once veneer is placed onto core materials, solids are applied to the core material using an older Olimpic edgebander. Pieces are then calibrated on a DMC Model 130-2A widebelt sander for uniform thickness. The completed set is veneered at the Sennerskov press and then sent through to the Costa double-end tenoner. Edges are applied by a Homag edgebander. The finger pull is machined into the solid pieces, and then sent to the Arminius SPO-12 for profile sanding. "We now have approximately eight people to do the hand sanding, versus the almost 45 people it took before we had the profile sanders," Boehm said.

In order to remove dents in the veneer prior to final sanding, employees place water on the veneer, then apply a hot iron to the affected area. According to Krusel, the resulting steam causes the wood to swell, eliminating the indentation.

Approximately 12,000 square feet of veneer is sanded per day on one of two DMC widebelt sanders, said Krusel. Three years ago Smed invested in a DMC Model LSL 130 CNC sander with two crossbelts in front, a third crossbelt, and two main beams. The company also relies on a 7-year-old LSL Univer multi-directional, with a crossbelt and two beams.

"The CNC is in operation 80 to 85 percent of the time," Boehm said. With both in operation, the company has virtually eliminated any bottlenecks at the sanding stage, Boehm added.

In the beginning

Things were not always so smooth for owner Mogens Smed. He began his woodworking career at K-P Manufacturing, a high-end millwork facility and the company his cabinetmaker father Kai Falk Smed first worked at, then owned since 1964. After leaving K-P Mfg., Mogens Smed struck out on his own.

Ten years ago Smed broke into the contract furniture industry. The result: Smed Mfg. is the largest Canadian wood contract furniture maker, with 16 showrooms located in major U.S. cities, plus six in Canada, one in London and one in Hong Kong.

Quality control inherent to success

Smed Mfg. Inc. puts a premium on maintaining quality control, said Oberg, including working toward registration as an ISO 9002 vendor for the last 2 1/2 years. The ISO registration refers to the voluntary quality assurance program instituted by the European-based International Standards Institute. There are 18 requirements in the 9002 designation, which focuses on production, installation and service.

Although not included in the ISO requirements, but inherent to Smed's own customer service policy, is the company's guarantee of "shipment of products within four weeks or it's free," says Oberg. This philosophy translated to sales of $50 million (Canadian) last year, approximately 65 percent of which were to U.S.-based companies, Oberg said.

"We're the largest Canadian wood office furniture manufacturer. I believe we are also the largest one west of the Mississippi," Oberg added.

THE 'CAN DO' COMPANY

Not all companies can claim to do it all. For Smed Mfg. Inc., however, "There's no such words for us as can't, don't and won't," said Dennis Boehm, paint shop foreman.

This philosophy begins in the veneer room. After grading by color, veneers are stored at 70 percent humidity and 6 percent moisture content. Veneers are rough cut oversized by 20 mil on a Kuper veneer splicer, then cut to width, again oversized by 20 mil, on a Larsen veneer guillotine. Veneers are then sewn together on a Kuper stitcher, with the bottoms reinforced for additional sturdiness, said Keith Krusel, assistant manager of the Quality Assurance department.

Core material is cut on a Supermatic 78E4 CNC panel saw. A Holz-Her Supercut 1270 vertical panel saw is also used, eliminating any bottlenecks and for custom cuts. Cores are then either laminated or veneered on Sennerskov presses. From there, parts are run through the Costa double-end tenoners for squaring. A Homag edgebander performs banding for 3-mil solid, or 1.5-mil veneer and PVC edgings. Parts are then sent to one of two Morbidelli CNC boring machines, a U-60 and a U-550. Up to this point, parts were marked with chalk indicating job order number. Now, product codes are stamped onto the components. Some parts are then run through an Arminius SPO-12 profile sander. Round tops and bowl tops are produced in the custom shop. Smed has five to six custom cabinetmakers working in two shifts. Cabinetmakers and other production personnel work 12-hour days, in shifts of four days on, four days off. "Everyone is cross-trained to work, as needed, in other areas," Krusel said.

Putting the pieces together

Until now, pieces were sent through the production cycle grouped by "like" product types, with regards to size and style. In the staging area, products are regrouped based on purchase order number and re-inspected. Parts are sanded in the DMC widebelt sanders and then either stained and topcoated or finished with Smed's Lamena finish.

Any fitments are put in place and parts are packed flat or, in the case of files and drawers, sent pre-assembled. "Five to 10 percent freight damage is average for most companies. Here, we have 1/4 of 1 percent," Krusel said.