FDM - May 2008

IKEA

tion technique, one base raw material and a limited product range.

In Danville, Lindquist says that wood product flow begins at the sawmill, then goes to either component or board production. From there, material goes into solid wood furniture, board and frame products, or composite panel furniture. Then on to a distributor and the Ikea store.

“By using cost-effective constructions, Ikea has been able to produce affordable products,” he says.

Lindquist explains that Ikea’s over-tag, or advantages, include strength in sandwich construction, kitchen cabinets and wardrobes, kitchen fronts, solid wood products and veneered furniture.

First plant and four lines

In the operation itself, major equipment suppliers include Homag and Stiles Machinery Inc., Burkle, Schelling, Biesse, Cefla, and Akzo Nobel finishes.

For the press line, Schelling supplied a large panel saw to cut panels.

Burkle supplied the whole layup and pressing lines for the HDF, particleboard stiles and honeycomb for making lightweight panels. A Paul saw is ripping particleboard strips into rails. Honeycomb core material is brought from Europe in a collapsed condition.

Lightweight panels are taken from press line and moved to the edgebanding area, which includes Homag edgebanding equipment, Holzma Powerline and Weeke machining center, along with Bargstadt handling equipment.

The Cefla print line includes surface treatment, Biesse RBO panel handling machine, Costa & Grissom sander with Sorbini ovens, and Costa & Grissom Serie S sander.

A woodgrain finish is applied in several steps using Akzo Nobel finishes. White, birch, black-brown and solid black can be applied.

The packaging line was assembled by Ligmatech and includes Ligmatech Profiline VRF 120 machines and Kallfass shrink wrap line. Products are packed flat in boxes.

In addition, a foil line is being completed that includes a Profiline

Site selection:
Why Danville won

➤ Distance to Ikea retail stores ➤ Availability of labor

➤ Sustainable supply of raw materials

➤ Availability of industry infrastructure

KAL620 and Friz equipment. Foil would be applied on some items instead of finishing. Lindquist says that another print line and press line could also be added. (A new line for Besta products includes a Schelling saw, press line, and then foil.)

“Swedwood is willing and able to tear out a perfectly good machine line, and put in a new better version of that machine line to drive cost out of the product,” Raymond says.