1. Introduction:
Furniture manufacturing can be completed in small custom designed workshops or in
large factories where large, fast moving, automated machinery is used. Soft furnishing
and craft upholstery workshops are generally smaller units employing multi-skilled
staff that can provide comprehensive training in the chosen discipline. Manufacturing
work within workshops and factories can require reasonable physical fitness, due to
the amount of standing and lifting involved. Within the workshops, a wide range of
basic tools can be used including; saws, hammers, needles, as well as small hand held
electrical appliances for sanding, fabric cutting and pressing. In comparison, within the
large factories which tend to offer more apprenticeships the work may also involve
control of large fast moving machinery. Some of this machinery can be quite noisy and
dust extraction system are required, due to wood cutting and shaping task which is
performed at speed. Working in the production side of the industry requires good
hand-eye coordination. The ability to use tools effectively, team working skills and a
quality driven approach are also highly valued.
Recently we have visited FIDCO FURNITURE COMPLEX and CABINET MANUFACTURING
PLANT for industrial training, which are the project of BFIDC (Bangladesh Furniture
Industries Development Corporation). These are the biggest furniture production
industries of BFIDC & sited at Kalurghat, Chittagong.
.
Production process:
1. Direct purchase of round & & plant from forest department.
2. Chemically preserved & seasoned rubber plants.
3. The round logs are sawn in the same project by bend saw (36” & 42”) machine.
After sawing, timbers are send to seasoning chamber and after completion of
seasoning timbers are supplied to different machines for machining. The name
the machines:
i. Bend saw machine (36” & 42”0
ii. Cross cut machine
iii. Rip saw machine
iv. Double circular machine
v. Planner machine
vi. Thicknesser machine

2. vii. Teeth & Gullet machine
viii. Single circular machine
ix. Mortise machine
x. Belt sanding machine
xi. Molder machine
xii. Tannening machine
xiii. Router machine
4. Manual assembling
5. Polishing
6. Ready for delivery.
1 .Direct purchase of round & plant from forest department:
The raw materials of production is timber. It’s collected from Bangladesh forest
department. BFIDC has also own product of timber like as rubber timber. BFIDC has 18
rubber projects
2. Chemically preserved & seasoned rubber plants:
Seasoning:
After the woods are cut by the bend saws to make them into the size of timbers, they
need seasoning. Because timbers have moisture in them which makes them of lower
strength, low durability & vulnerable to insects. So seasoning is done to take the
moisture out of timber. The seasoning time for wood can be reduced considerably
through the use of a specialist kiln. Often air seasoning and kiln seasoning are used
together. There are different types of kiln.
Kilns are used because the process speeds up seasoning and this method can be used
to accurately control the moisture content of the wood.
The wood is carefully stacked inside the kiln. Water is heated and the resulting steam
allowed to enter the kiln, circulating inside and around the wood boards. Over time,
the amount of steam (humidity) is reduced until the wood has the desired moisture
content.
The timber remains in the kiln up to 21 days, depending on the species of tree and the
time of year that the tree was felled (Spring, Autumn or Winter). Softwoods season

3. more rapidly in the kiln, compared to hardwoods. This is due to their differences in cell
structure. The seasoning temperature varies from 37◦
c to 70◦
c.
When timber is first felled it is known as green timber and has a very high moisture
content – approximately 50%. Before it can be used it must be dried. If this process is
not controlled properly defects can occur that can ruin good timber. Aim of seasoning
is to dry out the wood to a suitable moisture content of 22% or less.
Reasons for Seasoning:
 Seasoning is the controlled process of reducing the moisture content (MC) of
the timber so that it is suitable for the environment and intended use.
 Wood will dry naturally so seasoning helps us to control the process and keep
the timber more stable and more useful.
 Prevents splitting
 Prevents a lot of fungal and insect attacks
 It is less lightly to distort or warp later
 After seasoning timber is easier to work with, because it is lighter, harder and
stronger.
Types of Seasoning:
 Natural/Air Seasoning
 Kiln Seasoning
Natural/Air Seasoning:
With this process the timber is roughly sawn to size and stacked using spacers called
stickers, with the timber stacked in the open air. Vertical spacing achieved by using
timber battens (25mm) of the same species. The piling sticks should be spaced close
enough to prevent bowing (600 to 900 mm centers). This allows the free movement of
air. The stack should be protected from the direct influence of the elements. The ends
of the beams must be painted to prevent splitting.

4.  Advantages
 No expensive equipment needed
 Small labour cost once stack is made
 Environmentally friendly- uses little energy
 Disadvantages
 Slow drying rate
 Large area of space required for a lot of timber
 Only dries the timber to approximately 20% M.C. so leaving it open to
some insect and fungal attacks while it is only suitable for outdoor joinery

5. Kiln Seasoning:
There are two main types of kiln used in artificial seasoning
1. Compartmental Kilns
2. Progressive Kilns.
Both methods rely on the controlled environment to dry out the timber and require
the following factors:
 Forced air circulation by using large fans, blowers, etc.
 Heat of some form provided by piped steam.
 Humidity control provided by steam jets.
The amount and duration of air, heat and humidity again depends on species, size,
quantity, etc. In general, the atmosphere in the kiln at first will be cool and moist. The
temperature is gradually increased and the humidity reduced until the required
moisture content is achieved.
Compartmental Kilns:
 This kiln is a single enclose container or building, etc.
 The timber is stacked same manner as air seasoning
 Whole stack is seasoned using a programme of settings (temperature and
humidity) until the whole stack is reduced to the MC required.

6. Progressive Kilns:
 A progressive kiln has the stack on trolleys that ‘progressively’ travel through
a sequence of chambers.
 Each chamber has varying atmospheres that change the MC of the timber
stack as it travels through.
 Advantages of this system- has a continuous flow of seasoned timber coming
off line
 Advantages
 Quicker due to higher temperatures, ventilation and air circulation
 Achieve a lower moisture content
 Defects associated with drying can be controlled
 Allows more precise rates of drying for various timber species and
thickness of boards

7.  Disadvantages
 Is expensive
 Requires supervision by a skilled operator
 Uses a lot of energy
Finding the MC
A moisture meter is most commonly used to establish the MC of a particular batch of
timber. These meters are usually attached to two probes which send an electrical
signal through the wood. Water is a conductor of electricity and therefore – the more
water present the higher the conductivity and this can be read from the display.
Another method of establishing the MC is to remove random samples from the stack.
Each of the samples are placed on a micro scales and their weight recorded. The
samples are then placed in an oven or microwave until the moisture has evaporated.
The samples are then weighted again and their dry weight recorded. The %MC is
obtained by the formulae
Wet weight – dry weight X 100 = %MC
dry weight
Seasoning and Shrinkage:
Seasoning will cause dramatic changes such as increase in strength but also distortion
and shrinkage. The greatest amount of shrinkage takes place tangentially along the
grain with little loss over the radial direction and along the length of the board.
Because of these varying shrinkage rates, tangential boards tend to cup because of the
geometry of the annual rings. Some rings are much longer than the others close to
the heart. Therefore there will be more shrinkage at these parts than the others.

8. Seasoning Defects: Shakes
 Shakes are separation of the fibres along the grain developed in the standing
tree, in felling or in seasoning.
 They are caused by the development of high internal stresses probably
caused by the maturity of the tree.
 The shake is the result of stress relief and in the first place results in a single
longitudinal crack from the heart and through the diameter of the tree.
 As the stress increases a second relief crack takes form and is shown as a double
heart shake.
 Further cracks are known as star shakes and show the familiar pattern shown.
The Treatment Process:
The structure of wood is similar to that of a sponge, with cell cavities and cell walls,
which represent the actual wood. The aim of wood preservation is to coat these walls
with preservative to protect them from decay caused by wood-destroying fungi and
insects. The preservative penetrates deep into the wood with the aid of pressure and
a vacuum. First the vacuum removes the air from the cavities to create space for the
preservative solution, which is then forced deep into the wood under high pressure

9. .
3. Manufacturing By Various Machines:
Bend saw machine:
A bend saw is a power tool which uses a blade consisting of a continuous band
of metal with teeth along one edge to cut various workpieces. It's also a useful machine
in a woodworking shop. The band usually rides on two wheels rotating in the same
plane, although some bend saws may have three or four wheels. Bend sawing
produces uniform cutting action as a result of an evenly distributed tooth load. Bend
saws are used for woodworking, metalworking, or for cutting a variety of other
materials. They are particularly useful for cutting irregular or curved shapes, but can
make straight cuts. The minimum radius of a curve that can be cut on a particular saw
is determined by the width of the band and its kerf.

10. Timber mills use very large bend saws for ripping lumber; they are preferred
over circular saws for ripping because they can accommodate large-diameter timber
and because of their smaller kerf (cut size), resulting in less waste.
The blades range in size from about (4" wide x 19' long x 22 thickness) to (16" wide x
62' long x 11 ga thickness). The blades are mounted on wheels with a diameter large
enough not to cause metal fatigue due to flexing when the blade repeatedly changes
from a circular to a straight profile. It is stretched very tight (with fatigue strength of
the saw metal being the limiting factor). Bend saws of this size need to have a
deformation worked into them that counteracts the forces and heating of operation.
Cross Cut Machine:
A cross-cut saw is an acceptable machine to point stakes on provided there is a
properly designed and constructed jig and adequate support has been provided for the
jig and post. This allows posts of up to eight feet in length to be pointed. This technique
is suitable for low-volume production. For higher volume production, proprietary stake
pointing machines are available. Stake pointing produces small sharp pointed off-cuts.
If these are allowed to build up around the saw they can jam the blade or be ejected
back towards the operator. Regular removal of the off-cuts is therefore important by
either using a push-stick or first stopping the machine.

11. Double blade circular saw machine:
Double blade saws are just like typical circular saws, except for one thing: two blades
instead of one. Not only that, the two blades rotate in opposite directions. These
blades rotate in opposite directions, the saw has no mind of its own. This is in sharp
contrast to single-blade circular saws, which always seem to be propelling you in one
direction or another. A twin blade saw is all about control. Cut forward, cut backward,
cut up, or cut down--it's your choice. Kickback is not entirely eliminated but it is
reduced. Additionally, a twin blade saw delivers a cleaner, sharper cut than single-
blade saws, even when fitted with toothy blades.

12. Planner machine:
A thickness planer consists of three elements: a cutter head which contains the cutting
knives; a set rollers which draw the board through the machine; and a table which is
adjustable relative to the cutter head to control the resultant thickness of the board.
Some portable thickness planers differ slightly in that the table is fixed and the cutter
head/feed roller assembly is adjusted.
Industrial thickness planers are capable of accepting very wide boards and removing
large amounts of material in a single pass. These machines are driven by powerful
motors and are of very heavy construction. In recent times, a range of lightweight
portable thickness planers have become available which use universal motors and are
much less expensive than industrial versions.

13. Belt Sander Machine:
A belt sander is a sander used in shaping and finishing wood and other materials. It
consists of an electric motor that turns a pair of drums on which a seamless loop
of sandpaper is mounted. Belt sanders may be handheld and moved over the material,
or stationary (fixed), where the material is moved to the sanding belt. Stationary belt
sanders are sometimes mounted on a work bench, in which case they are called bench
sanders. Stationary belt sanders are often combined with a disc sander.
Belt sanders can have a very aggressive action on wood and are normally used only for
the beginning stages of the sanding process, or used to rapidly remove material.
Sometimes they are also used for removing paints or finishes from wood. Fitted with
fine grit sand paper, a belt sander can be used to achieve a completely smooth surface
Moulder Machine:
A wood moulder is a machine used to shape wood with profiled cutters. The profiled
cutters are also known as knives, and blades. Tooling refers to cutters, knives, blades
including planer blades, and cutterheads. Most moulders require the blades to be
secured into a cutterhead that mounts on the shaft(s) of the machine. However, some
machines such as the Williams & Hussey and the Shop Fox require the blades to bolt

14. directly onto the shaft of the machine. The wood being fed into moulder is commonly
referred to as either “stock” or “blanks”.
Wood moulders almost always have the capacity to serve as a wood planer as well. For
this reason they are also known as Planer/ Moulders. However, a wood planer does
not necessarily have the capability to be a moulder. There are several makes and
models of both planers and planer/ moulders on the market.
A wood moulder has one or more horizontal cutter heads, and may also have side
cutter heads. Because it has horizontal cutter heads a wood moulder differs from
a spindle shaper, which has one or sometimes more vertical spindles and no horizontal
heads.
Mortiser Machine:
A mortiser or morticer is a specialized woodworking machine used to cut square or
rectangular holes in a piece of lumber (timber), such as a mortise in a mortise and
tenon joint.
Mortiser are of three types:
1. Square chisel mortiser
2. Horizontal mortiser
3. Chain mortise

15. Manual Assembling:
After completion of all types of manufacturing operation of the raw material (wood,
MDF), these are send to assembly section. Skilled worker manually joint the different
part of the machined raw materials and finally produce the predesigned furniture.

16. 5. Furnishings and Interior sector
Designers
Before any new furniture products are manufactured, a detailed plan, providing
information such as material use, size and functionality has to be created. These plans
are developed by designers, who can work in offices and production areas. When
creating plans for a new product there are many factors that a designer must consider;
as well as how a finished product will look, a designer has to consider cost and
availability of materials, the products functions (customer requirements and intended
use) and also safety issues.
Designers can also be tasked with improving current designs and some also take part
in production processes, making sure the furniture created matches with their original
plans. Products can be developed for mass market production or for a ‘one-off’ order
to cover a special project or individual client request e.g. a bespoke design of soft
furnisher. Designers are often given guidelines and asked to create products with
specific functions using limited materials. To accomplish this they need to develop
their knowledge about a wide range of materials and the greater their knowledge and
experience the better their abilities.
Finisher/Polisher
Furniture finishers and polishers prepare and treat wood to give it a smooth finish and
Bring out the beauty of the natural timber. They are responsible for finishing items
such as dining tables and chairs, lounge suites, cabinets, chests of drawers, wall units,
kitchen cabinets, musical instruments, shop fittings to ensure they are ready for sale.
They may also work on fixed timbers such as doors or wall fittings in old buildings.
6.Delivery of furniture:
With globalization and the growth of businesses using the Internet, Bangladesh
furniture manufacturers are now competing with companies that manufacture
products overseas, where overheads can often be much cheaper. FIDCO has led to high
levels of furniture in different Government institution in Bangladesh.

17. Internal Supply Chain Map:
Furniture Manufacturing and the Enviroment:
The manufacture of man made products from raw materials unavoidably creates some
waste products and emissions. The disposal of these can be harmful to our
environment if it is not strictly controlled and the Furniture, Furnishings and Interiors
industry have a very responsible attitude towards this.
By supporting research and assisting in the setting up of waste control systems FIDCO

18. industry bodies have raised awareness of environmental issues caused through the
waste created by furniture manufacture. As a consequence many Bangladesh furniture
manufacturers are now helping to reduce harmful emissions and waste products are
being recycled where ever possible.
Economical concern:
1. Being a commercial project of Bangladesh Govt. it has to maintain all the rules
& regulations of the Government.
2. On the economical view projects goes on much production & sale as per given
target by the head office of BFIDC due to which the project is running as a
profitable one.
Marketing:
The purchasers of furniture from BFIDC are all the organizations of Bangladesh Govt.
such as health sector, education sector etc. The purchaser can place direct purchase
orders to BFIDC on the basis of DMP (Direct purchase method).
Production:
Annual production is 2 lakhs square feet.
Adhesive: different concentration of Urea formaldehyde

19. Discussion:
FIDCO Furniture Complex and Cabinet Manufacturing Plant are the biggest public
furniture industries in Bangladesh . We have trained about ten days and learned a lot
of ideas about furniture manufacturing . We visited different sector of FIDCO & CMP .
Ass. Manager Tauhidul Islam sir helps us to learn about the production process & job
of different machines. He showed us the total palnt layout of the industry including
workshop, seasoning section, polishing section etc. He also told us about the key
skills(such as self manage, effective participant, team work, reflective learner &
creative thinker). A lack of key skills in any bussiness can affect the company’s ability
to survive.