SHANGHAI, China — The parent company of case goods resource Fine Furniture Design has completed a $4 million investment in its Shanghai factory over the past six months that it said will improve efficiencies and produce more environmentally friendly products.

Fine Furniture (Shanghai) Limited has converted its finishing line to apply water-based finishes and also has installed new CNC (computerized numerical control) equipment that includes lathes, mills and routers. The company said this new equipment will provide increased design capabilities, as well as speed, precision and manufacturing consistency

“These new capabilities will improve our efficiencies and allow us to manufacture more environmentally friendly, on trend products with extreme accuracy,” said Brian Ohlrich, president of Fine Furniture (Shanghai) Limited. “It also represents a significant investment, which reflects our ongoing commitment to a continued presence in China.”

Ohlrich noted that the equipment can “deliver the extreme precision required for a straight planed veneered piece of furniture with complex miters, so our people can focus on providing the personal, highly skilled touch that elevates our products and makes them distinctive in the marketplace.”

“By producing an incredible array of intricate and complex designs, the equipment broadens our capability to offer a wider assortment of products,” he noted. “From intricate traditional carvings to clean and precise contemporary design elements, these machines do everything more efficiently. Reduced set-up times allow for more customization while improving productivity and quality. Greater accuracy also means less waste, which ultimately benefits pricing.”

The full-scale conversion to water-based finishing is part of an effort to comply with new government standards. Ohlrich described the process as an “enormous undertaking”.

“In our search to find the highest quality finishing materials available, suppliers have told us that this is the most state-of-the-art water-based finish line that they have ever seen. We’re extremely proud of that appraisal,” Ohlrich noted.

In addition to being environmentally friendly, officials said the water-based finishes are clearer, more durable and easily repaired. Existing finishes also have been reformulated so that all furniture produced now uses water-based formulas.

“Throughout the conversion process we have completed extensive quality testing to assure that the new finishes meet our standards,” said Eric Graham, president of Fine Furniture Design. “To our customers and to the consumer, the new finishes will be virtually indistinguishable from the previous oil-based finishes.”

“Improvements in water based finishes and finishing equipment have come a long way in just the past few years,” Graham added. “We want our dealers to know that this is the most modern finish available in the industry today, and we hope that they are as excited as we are as we launch these more durable and environmentally friendly finishes.”

(source: furnituretoday)