Design issues; Flat pack furniture.

Many products are now produced to be assembled at home. This is because it reduces storage and transportation costs, therefore reducing the amount of money the consumer pays. 

Chester Drawers

-The packaging has been design alongside the piece of furniture. the carton is only as large as the biggest piece of material, so hardly any space is wasted.

-The sides of the container have been manufactured as a sub-assembly which means the draws fit in position. The main carcass is assembled with screws that have been pre-drilled. An Allen key is provided to fit the screws. The hardback board is there for support and additional strength which is pined in-place.

-The draws are assembled using knocked down fittings and dowels. The metal fittings pull the draw tightly onto the sides. Plastic dowels are tapped into place to holed the rear of the dram together as at this point is minimal.

-A very neat solution which helps reduce the cost to the constomer. 

What are the key issues?

-The chipboard used for the main construction is consistent in quality and inexpensive.
-The finish has been pre-finished by gluing on a plastic edge and bonding a decorative laminate to the surface.

-All of the parts have been pre-drilled for assembly.

-Easy to use construction method so that people with no knowledge can assemble it at ease.

-Packaging, storage and transportation have been considered carefully- the whole cartoon is capable of being carried by one person.

-Quality assurance, all the components must be accurate to assemble the product.

-Computer-aided machinery has been used to ensure accuracy and to reduce wastage.

Assembly Instruct

The instructions have to been well thought out. They need to be easy to understand with visual aid.

Instruction Booklets

Consider how much products require instructions to inform the user how to use the product.