Case Study: Wentworth Furniture
Project Overview
In January 2004 EcoRecycle Victoria commissioned the Australian Sustainable
Industry Research Centre Ltd (ASIRC) to undertake materials efficiency supply chain
studies in the Furniture Manufacturing Industry of Victoria. This case study describes
the project undertaken in partnership with Wentworth Furniture one of the leading
furniture manufacturing companies in Australia. The objectives of the project were to
quantify the waste within the timber supply chain from the logs entering the mill to the
furniture delivered to the retailer.
The emphasis was on the timber supply within Victoria, but other waste going to
landfill was included.
The Lead Organisation
Wentworth Furniture is in the top 10 Furniture Manufacturers within Australia.
Wentworth is a participant in the (FIAA) Furnishing Industry Association of Australia
and uses their resources to improve quality and efficiency of its processes and
products.
Wentworth has 78 employees who produce furniture with a wholesale value of $9.5
million. The furniture range consists of bedroom suites and cabinets in Messmate
and Ash timbers. The furniture is marketed on craftsmanship and quality and that
value is consistent throughout their operations. Due to uncertainty of government
policy on the supply of saw logs to the timber industry Wentworth have a diversified
the range of products to decrease their dependence on timber.
Wentworth is also keen to develop stronger supply chain partnerships and transfer
machining operations upstream.
Understanding the Issues
EcoRecycle Victoria (ERV), in partnership with Wentworth and ASIRC, initiated a
supply chain study to quantify the solid waste generated in the supply chain from the
mill to the furniture company. The study within Wentworth covered all the timber
types but the supply chain concentrated on Messmate as it was the predominant
species used. Wentworth has a policy of maintaining a major and minor supplier for
each timber type. Austimber is the major supplier and Terra timber is the minor
supplier
The key issues relevant to the study:
•
The waste within Wentworth manufacturing has been measured on the docking
process but not across the total process. Waste management costs (approx.
$30,000 per annum) are large enough to justify internal effort.
•
Wentworth have minimised waste by utilising some short lengths and trims as
parts for other products. This not only adds additional steps into the process, but
more importantly detracts from the incentive to eliminate the waste due to more
efficient material usage and process design.
•
Improved timber efficiency is a key driver that would justify effort within
Wentworth. Waste volumes are large and recycling is also a viable alternative to
minimise waste management costs.
•
The major timber mills predominantly manufacture timber for building products
and the furniture volume is small and has little leverage within the mills in
determining timber profiles and optimising milling processes.
Desired Project Outcomes
In planning the study the following outcomes were anticipated:
•
Quantification of the timber waste would allow further improvement in waste
management costs and recycling.
•
Supply chain process studies would identify areas of process duplication and
opportunities for improvement in partnership with the supplier.
•
Environmental gains will be achieved by recycling the unavoidable waste
(example shavings) resulting from the product design and the process.
•
Improving the efficiency of processes such as docking will increase the
proportion of timber milled that is converted into furniture thereby reducing the
demand for timber and the associated waste in the supply chain.
The Project Methodology
Given these expectations, the following project methodology was developed based
on six sigma:
Define: Eco Recycle Victoria was the paying customer and their requirements were
paramount. The Furnishing Industry Association of Victoria endorsed the project and
introduced two leading furniture companies who specialised in hardwood furniture.
Their needs were identified and the project scoped to ensure there was a business
return to these lead companies.
Measure: The furniture manufacturing process was documented by walking the flow
as a process audit report and functional flow diagram with all inputs and outputs
identified. The anecdotal data was verified by production records and purchasing
invoices. This facilitated an understanding of the key processes that converted the
timber into furniture and importantly the quality requirements of timber used. The key
supplier processes were similarly documented.
Analyse: Data was consolidated and analysed to identify the major timber use by
species, the major timber profiles used and the weighted average timber sizes. The
waste was similarly analysed to identify the relative volumes of each type of waste
and the losses in each major process. This information was displayed as a material
balance for the furniture company and a waste map for the supply chain. The yield of
each major process was calculated to estimate the proportion of timber that was
converted to furniture. Additional anecdotal data was also supplied as a supply chain
summary map to show the information flow, the material flow, the value and the
waste.
Improve: The process flow charts were examined to identify process duplication
across the total supply chain so that a supply chain team could work together to
eliminate the duplication and the waste inherent in the step. Large waste volumes
also became opportunities for recycling.
The team documented the timber
specification and compared to the process capability. If these were matched then a
trial was arranged and the trial material use to make furniture. The timber savings
were calculated and if attractive, scale up into production planned
Control: This step locks in the change by documenting the specification, supplier
agreements and verifying safety impact. Operator training or briefing occurs and the
change is implemented smoothly. The team continues to meet regularly to review
production performance and to address further opportunities.
Project Timing
The project was undertaken over 18 Months:
Partner selection and commitment: 2 Month
Information gathering and measurement: 8 Months
Map supply chain and identify opportunities: 1 Month
Establish supply chain improvement : 1 Months
Select capable timber moulding contractor and pilot changes: 6 Month
Analyse and report results: 1 Month
The Project
Waste from the manufacturing processes across the company was mapped and
quantified as:
Waste Material
Quantity per Year
Disposal
Timber Shavings
211 tonne
Recycle
Timber shorts
135 tonnes
Landfill
Timber dust
104 tonnes
Landfill
Veneer Panel trims
36 tonnes
Landfill
Other
9 tonnes
60% Recycle, 40% Landfill
The timber shorts and dust quantities are sufficiently large to economically recycle.
There is an existing product stream for the shorts but the dust is too fine for use as
poultry litter.
The supply chain flow maps identified two process duplication steps:
1. Docking
2. Moulding
In the past, Wentworth invested in a sophisticated docking saw which enabled them
to reduce docking waste from 18% to 10%. They batch jobs so that there is a wide
range of docked lengths and allow the docking saw to optimise the cutting of each
individual board. Further improvement is unlikely unless the variable length timber
packs are planned so that there is an efficient cut plan for each length. The planning
is further confounded by a large number of timber profiles used. A supply chain
partnership addressing this opportunity requires a large internal effort to rationalise
timber profiles and could not be completed within the project timeframe.
The current timber profiles should also be reviewed to select one that is consistent
with large volume runs in timber milling so that timber ordered by Wentworth
Furniture is compatible with building industry sizes and may be supplied from
standard production mill runs.
Improvement Project: Supplier Edge Grooved Timber
Terra Timber staff visited Wentworth Furniture and after touring the manufacturing
process proposed that Terra Timber could edge groove timber used to make panels
which are then converted to bed heads and cabinet tops. The panel production uses
about 50% of the timber purchased. Terra Timber has a more sophisticated moulder
and believe they could edge groove to finer tolerances than that achieved at
Wentworth Furniture. This has two advantages it eliminates a step in Wentworth’s
process giving a productivity gain and reduces timber waste.
edge grooved timber
Terra Timber ordered timber from the mills with dimensions that after process losses
in seasoning and moulding would yield profiles to the exact dimensions that
Wentworth Furniture achieved off their moulder. This required a three month lead
time in supply to accommodate the long process time involved in seasoning timber at
Terra Timber.
The trials of the Terra timber packs at Wentworth Furniture demonstrated that the
edge grooving was satisfactory, but other concerns have delayed scaling up this
option.
The current process is:
Timber Packs
Glue
Moulder
Dress
Thickness
1mm/surface
Groove
Edges
2.5mm/edge
Sand Belts
Optimizer Saw
Dock
Timber
Taylor Clamp
Make
Panels
10% shorts
30mm/length
3mm/join
Cutter Block Sander
Thickness
Panels
0.5mm / pass
1 pass / side
Offcuts used for face boards
Rip Saw
Cut To
Size
CNC Router
Shape
Panels
Variable
Contour
Edges
Variable
20mm width
20mm length
Sander
Sand
Panels
0.5mm / pass
1 pass/side
Parts Made
Cabinet Tops
Cabinet Sides
Bed Heads
The proposed process is
Grooved
Timber
Glue
Sand Belts
Wentworth
Optimizer Saw
Dock
Timber
Taylor Clamp
Make
Panels
10% shorts
30mm/length
3mm/join
Cutter Block Sander
Thickness
Panels
0.5mm / pass
1 pass / side
Rip Saw
Cut To
Size
Offcuts used for face boards
CNC Router
Shape
Panels
Variable
Contour
Edges
Variable
20mm width
20mm length
Sander
Sand
Panels
0.5mm / pass
1 pass/side
Parts Made
Cabinet Tops
Cabinet Sides
Bed Heads
Improvement Project: Recycling of Timber Waste
The purchasing manager renegotiated the waste management contract with JJ
Richards and the 135 tonne of solid timber waste is now collected in a skip >20 m3.
The skip is transported to Benalla and is used for input to the manufacture of particle
board. This change is being implemented and will divert 135 tonne from landfill,
corresponding to a recycling increase to approximately 77%, and reduce waste
management cost by approximately $10,000.
Project Outcomes
The project demonstrated that high quality edge moulding could be contracted to
suppliers and transported from regional Victoria to Melbourne. Wentworth shared
their experience with Davis at a workshop held as part of the project and convinced
them to undertake their own project.
Wentworth Furniture and Terra Timber demonstrated that by working in partnership
they could improve the utilisation of the timber used to make panels by 17%. The
trial supports the estimation of increased utilisation of 99 tonnes of messmate can be
achieved over a year’s production. Commercial uptake of the changed supply chain
arrangements would then result in a reduction of 282 tonnes of logs required for
milling.
Wentworth and JJ Richards are now recycling an additional 135 tonnes of timber
waste, thereby increasing Wentworth Furniture recycling efforts from 44% to 70%.
The project established that by using a data based improvement process and utilising
the experience within the industry, timber utilisation can be improved by eliminating
waste to provide more sustainable manufacturing.
Future Challenges
Wentworth must continue working with suppliers to establish the capability of its
supply chain partners and optimise the total supply chain capability to produce quality
furniture at the lowest cost. This generally requires flexibility of product design and
manufacturing processes within the chain to fully utilise equipment capability and
expensive timber.
The challenge remains to engage an industry that is comprised of many small
companies in this improvement process so that timber being disposed to landfill is
dramatically reduced.
Contact Details
EcoRecycle Victoria: Mr Simon Clay, Mrs Andrea Klindworth
ASIRC: Dr Kirsten Schliephake
Wentworth Furniture Pty Ltd: Mr Rex Carr, Mr Russell Hirth
Terra Timber: Mr Paul Heaton-Harris
Acknowledgements
EcoRecycle Victoria, ASIRC, The operators and management of Wentworth
Furniture and Terra Timber