Report of Design Awareness Programmedesignclinicsmsme.org/Design Awareness Programme Reports/NAS+D… · casting units of NECO Ltd. ... group),units of International Combustion, Bajaj

Design Awareness Programme Report - Binu Bhaskaran1

Report of

Design Awareness Programme for Nagpur Furniture Cluster under Design Clinic Scheme

Submitted byBinu Bhaskaran, Furniture Designer

Design Awareness Programme Report - Binu Bhaskaran2 Design Awareness Programme Report - Binu Bhaskaran3

AcknowledgementsWe express our sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) , Government of India for initiating the Design Clinic Scheme for MSME in India.

We are thankful to the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, the premier Design Institute in India for this initiative to promote design awareness amongst the MSMEs thereby developing competitiveness and entrepreneurship.

We feel grateful for the opportunity given by NID to be part of the national drive to promote design awareness and leverage on Design for the development of MSMEs.

We are grateful to the Nagpur Center for Entrepreunarial Development(under MCED) for providing all the support during the Need Assessment Study.

Last but not the least we thank all those who supported us to make this endeavour successful.


Design Clinic Scheme(DCS) for MSME is an initiative of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, to bring MSME sector and designers together to a common platform to provide design advice and solutions for identified problem areas of MSME sector and bring improvements, innovation and value addition in the existing products and services. DCS is intended to bring exposure to Design thinking and process to MSMEs towards Design awareness, improvement, evaluation, analysis as well as design related interventions and applications.

The objective of DCS is to enhance industrial competitiveness and productivity with the help of design intervention structured to provide design related support through design awareness seminar, design awareness programs, need assessment survey, workshop and design projects to provide design inputs towards enhancement of existing products and services.

As part of the above mentioned scheme this 'Need Assessment Survey' was conducted in the cluster of furniture manufacturers in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The study was intended to generate design information flow for creative, innovative and futuristic approach towards products, processes, operations, manufacturing and business design

IntroductionThe furniture manufacturers were contacted and identified through a Design Awareness Seminar conducted in Nagpur prior to the ‘Need Assessment Study’. A survey was conducted by visiting all the identified furniture manufacturing units in Nagpur. All relevant information related to the units were recorded through prescribed format. All related design information were recorded to provide detailed insights towards products, processes, operations, manufacturing ,infrastructure, value chain, supply chain and business related issues of each unit.

Subsequent pages highlights the insights, the needs and direction for Design intervention.

Need Assessment Study


Nagpur Nagpur is the winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune. With a population of 4,653,171 (2011), Nagpur is the 9th largest urban conglomeration in India. Nagpur is also a major commercial and political center of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, and is also famous throughout the country as “Orange City” for being a major trade center of oranges that are cultivated in the region. Nagpur lies precisely at the center of the country with the Zero Mile Marker indicating the geographical center of India. Marathi, the official language of Maharashtra, is the local language in Nagpur. In 2001, the urban population was 2,129,500, and there were around 410,000 households in the city. The sex ratio was 936 females per 1000 males. Around 99.4% of the population was engaged in non-agricultural activities, attesting to the overwhelmingly urban character of Nagpur city. The city was ranked 9th most competitive city in the country by the Institute for Competitiveness in its 2010 report. The Hingna industrial estate located on the western fringes of the city is made up of around 900 small and medium industrial units. The major ones among them are tractor manufacturing plant of Mahindra and Mahindra, casting units of NECO Ltd. (the country’s largest casting group),units of International Combustion, Bajaj Auto group.

11/1/11 Google Maps

1/1maps.google.co.in/maps?gl=in&vpsrc=0&ie=UTF8&ll=20.974263,78.50006…

11/1/11 Google Maps

1/1maps.google.co.in/maps?gl=in&vpsrc=6&ie=UTF8&ll=21.145832,79.08817…

Map of MaharashtraLocation

Map of Nagpur City Map of Nagpur

Nagpur


About NIDAbout Maharastra Center for Entrepreneur Development

The National Institute of Design (NID) is internationally acclaimed as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutions in the field of design education and research. The Business Week, USA has listed NID as one of the top 25 European & Asian programmes in the world. The institute functions as on autonomous body under the department of Industrial Policy & Pro-motion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. NID is recognised by the Dept . of Scientific &Industrial Research (DSIR) under Ministry of Science & Technology. Government of India, as a scientific and industrial design research organisation.

NID has been a pioneer in industrial design education after Bauhaus and Ulm in Germany an d is known for its pursuit of design excellence to make Designed in India , Made for the World a reality. NID’s graduates have made a mark in key sectors of com-merce, industry and social development by taking role of catalysts and through thought leadership.

MCED has been a pioneer in espousing social and economic entrepreneurship since 1988. It is a training institute in the core area of entrepreneurship develop-ment. It works as a facilitator and guide for the creation and cultivation of the entrepreneurial spirit and the concept of ‘self-employment’ in a nation that is largely driven by third party employment. At MCED, there is always the hummable buzz of people discussing, brainstorming, making plans and revamping shelved ideas. The thrum of work and the excit-ing buzz of activity is an indelible part of the work culture. MCED is also an incredibly technology savvy organization which, not surprisingly, is amongst the few offices to en-force the paperless office concept. From the time that MCED first maneuvered uncharted territory in the state where ‘entrepreneurship training’ was unheard of, even less known was this nascent organization that was christened as Maharashtra Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’ in short, MCED. MCED is phonetically pronounced as ‘em-ced’. With a handful of employees, trained at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI-I) Ahmedabad, the eventual fate and destiny of the organization was, at that time, unknown and could only be guessed at. The organization restructured and played on the opportunities that the country’s tumultuous political and social scenario threw up and in its ‘opportun-ist’ plan of growth and expansion, it has grown into the leviathan giant in entrepreneurship training that it is now.


Case Studies

Need Assessment Survey


Modular Office & Home Furniture


Established in 2001, Tajpuria Woodworks Pvt. Ltd. used to be an Original Equipment Manufacturer(OEM) till 2007-08, who used to manufacture components according to the design specified by the client. Now with their established infrastructure in wood and metal works, they realize their potential to venture into the retail market. They also realize that the direction is through developing a range of products with the present infrastructure.

Capabilities• Wood working• Sheet metal• Surface finishing tasks are done inhouse as well as outsourced.

Strength • Handling of various process of Wood, Aluminium and Plastic. • Testing lab for the quality control of Dye casting, Sheet Metal and Extrusion.

Weakness• Design team not in place to put new designed products in Market.• Competition with quality of Chinese Products.• Cost Optimisation.

Vision• Modularity of products needs to be optimised according to company infrastructure.• Research & Development department needs to be built.• 2010-20 delivering quality products in home segment in Central India.

Challenges• Globalisation, which has triggered inflow of Chinese & Europe.• To compete with the high aesthetic value of European & Chinese brands at a very competitive price.

The main differentia-tor between their products and Chinese products according to them, is quality.Volume of production is not their strength, the strength is quality.No marketing division or brand name as of now.

Target Market segment: Cost optimised and quality products preferrably in home segment(mainly kitchen and bedroom). Maybe in office furniture also but not sure. Kitchen because of several shortcomings noticed

Tajpuria Woodworks Pvt. Ltd.

Main Machineries for Manufacturing

Name of Owner Ajay Tajpuria

Phone

Email

Brand Name -Nil-

Products Manufactured Office and Kitchen Furniture

Year of Setup 2001

No: of Employees 180 Labour 15 Administration

Current Turnover 21 Crore

Material Used MDF, Particle Board, Laminates, Veneer, PVC foil

No: of Machines 18

Current Marketing Method - NIL-

Point of Sales OEM

Trade Fair Participation -NIL-

1in existing products during installation-For eg. Complete modularity is never achieved. Problems with weather changes, many imported kitchens cannot handle the humidity in Indian conditions etc.Also because they have installed kitchens they realise that quantity gets affected and need to lessen the installation time.

Main MachineriesBeam Saw, Panel Saw, CNC Drilling, CNC Router, Edge Banding, Post Forming, PVC Membrane Pressing.

Materials UsedMDF, Particle Board, Laminates, Veneer, PVC Foil, Textiles.

All Hardware outsourced.

Multi-boring Machine

Edge-Banding Machine

PVC Foil Application

CNC Router Machine

CNC Boring Machine

New Product Development

Leg of table which has got mechanism to be adjusted to dif-ferent configuration.


Established in 2007, DS Furniture have the set up for manufacturing Modular Furniture in Processed Wooden Boards. The factory is located in the In-dustrial Zone of Wardah and has been constantly upgarding as well as expanding since its inception. They have invested on CNC machines as well as a very good supporting skilled labour force .They have established a very modern automat-ed setup, with the help of which they are able to produce quality furniture and a very customised product range. They have also captured a market segment due to their after sales service, which they claim to have given them good faith among the customers.

Capabilities• Processed Wood Board working• Storage Warehouse• Enough Space for future expansion.

Strength • Handling of various process in Processed wooden Board. • Variation & Customisation• After Sales Service.• Utilisation of Space left by other Players.

Weakness• Infrastucture nedds be even strong.• Competition with quality of Chinese Products.• Financial Stability.• Design needed to be done for high end customers for better sales.

Vision• To provide fully customised furniture in each project.• Double the production in coming years.• Four Year phase wise planning to increase the production facility.

Challenges• Logistics• Product Cost. Intend to venture into customisable designs for made to order furniture and institutional furniture.Sales is achieved mainly through dealer network, Corporate and institutional orders and through architects and interior designers.

Name of the Unit D S Furniture

Name of Owner Manish Saraf

Phone +91 9822232842

Email manish.saraf@hotmail

Brand Name D S Furniture

Products Manufactured Office, Home, Institutional

Furniture

Year of Setup 2007

No: of Employees 70


Materials Used Processed Wood &Mild steel

No: of Machines 35

Current Marketing Method Brochures, Television & Hoarding

Point of Sales Showroom, Projects

Trade Fair Participation Nagpur Vaastu Vision, Vardha Furniture Fair

DS Furniture

2Target Market Segment The market audience is a very mixed bag for DS furniture. Their expertise and infrastructure to cater to middle as well as lower segment of market is excellent and they are the few players in the area to have such a facility.But they have to go a long way in creating a market in the higher segment.

Main MachineriesBeam Saw, Panel Saw, CNC Drilling, CNC Router, Edge Banding, Post Forming

Materials UsedMDF, Particle Board, Laminates, Veneer, Textiles.

Panel Saw

Edge-Banding Machine

CNC Router

Warehouse


Name of the Unit Spacewood Furniture Pvt. lt

Name of Owner Vivek Despandey/Kirit Joshi

Phone +91-7104-235968

Email [email protected]

Brand Name Spacewood

Products Manufactured Office, Kitchen, Bedroom, Home Furniture

Year of Setup 1996

No: of Employees 150 Labour 4 Marketing


Material Used Wood, Aluminium, Plane Particle Board and HR - CR

No: of Machines 28

Current Marketing Method Brochures, Internet, Window Display

Point of Sales Showroom, Made to Order, Projects

Trade Fair Participation 2010-2011

Spacewood Office Solutions3

Spacewood Furnishers Pvt. Ltd was incorporated in 1994 by young enterprising engineers Kirit Joshi and Vivek Deshpande as a Component Manufac-turing Business in Nagpur. In 1998 Spacewood pioneered the Membrane Press Technology in India and diversified into modular kitchen manufacturing. Today Spacewood is the largest manufacturer of complete Home, Office and Kitchen Furniture by Capacity and Value.

Capabilities• Processed Wood Board working• Hard tooling for metal Components• Inhouse design team.

Strength • Handling of various process in Processed wooden Board. • Marketing• Design• Manufacturing Capability.

Weakness• Supply Chain & Logistics• Competition with quality of Chinese Products.• Imports of Extrusion components• Dependency on Boards.

Vision• Continually Improve The Quality Of Product & Service• Supply products & Services as per customer require ment on time• Strive to improve and upgrade our processes and oper ate in an eco – friendly environment• Reduce Operational losses

Challenges• Competition• Fast Delivery• Cost Main Competitors• Blowplast Ergonomics• Wipro• Godrej

Target Customers• Retail Market all across the country• Medium & Large enterprise

Main Machineries

Wood - Beam Saw, Panel Saw, CNC Drilling, CNC Router, Edge Banding, Post Forming.

Metal- Aluminum Cutting, 4 press machines, 2 Drilling Machines, Profile cutting Router.

Main Material

AluminumPlane Particle board & MDFHR & CR Steel - Sheet Metal

Multiple Boring CNC

CNC Board Cutting

Edge Banding Machine

Panel Saw


Modular Kitchen


Established in 1997, Argus Home Products, handle Designing, Manufacturing & Installation of standardised modular kitchen hardware for local clients.

At present they take about 7-8 hours to install one kitchen on location, but the whole process can take up to 2-3 weeks from beginning till end. Recently they have encountered some labour handling problems. Their core strength is in structural design and branding.

They have excellent facility for manufacturing wire mesh components for kitchen. But ,they realise that the market for wire mesh products in this area is dying.

Capabilities• Wire mesh Fabrication• Very fast execution

Strength • Handling of various process in steel wire/rods • Execution/ Assembly• Design• Quality Products.

Weakness• Supply Chain & Logistics• External Influences in execution• Competition with quality of Chinese Products.• Limited production facility.

Challenges• Competition• Fast Delivery• Cost Target Customers• Home segment - Middle & Upper class

Main Machineries MS & SS wire straightening and cutting, Spot, Butt, Arc & MIG Welding.

Oven, electropolishing unit ( Reverse of Plating)

Plastics - Dyes and Outsourced.

Hardware- Hettich & Italy

Name of the Unit Argus Home Products

Name of Owner Manoj Chintawar

Phone +91-712-2226234


Brand Name Argus Home Products

Products Manufactured Modular Kitchen & Labora-

tory Tables

Year of Setup 1997

No: of Employees 6 Labour

2 Marketing

Current Turnover 50 Lakh

Material Used Mild Steel & Stainless Steel

Section & Mesh

No: of Machines 8

Current Marketing Method -NIL-

Point of Sales Projects


Argus Home Products4

Wire Cutter

Jig for making Metal frame

Wire straightening machine

Wire Basket

Framework for Kitchen Cabinet

Single frame with fitting holes


Established in 2003, Akruti Home Products provides high quality modular kitchens and furniture under the brand name of Akruti Kitchens. They have a manufactur-ing unit which has specialised equipment for SS Fabrication. They have established by customising the needs according to the market. They produce high quality & durable furni-ture at a reasonable cost.

Capabilities• Stainless Steel Framing• Welded Section

Strength • Product Design• Faster execution/ Assembly• Low maintenance product/ Compliant free• Quality products.

Weakness• Labour issues• External Influences in execution• Lack of skilled labours• Infrastructure development

Challenges No Challenges

Company Vision• Increase the presence from regional to national Projects.• New Manufacturing unit in a years time for better production. Target Customers• Home segment - Middle & Upper class

Main Machineries

Wood - Panel Saw, Band Saw

Metal - MS & SS wire straightening and cutting, Spot, Butt, Cut off machines In-house workshop equipped with German-make machinery like Panel-saw (Felder), multi-boring machine (Felder), edge-banding machine (Vitap), and post forming machine and spindle molder.

Name of the Unit Akruti Home Products

Name of Owner Atul Hedaoo

Phone

Email

Brand Name Akruti Kitchens

Products Manufactured Modular, Kitchens, Ward robes, Beds

Year of Setup 2003


2 Marketing


Material Used Stainless Steel, Mild Steel, Processed Boards

No: of Machines 6

Current Marketing Method Brochures, Catalog

Point of Sales Showroom

Trade Fair Participation 2010- 2011

Aakruti Home Products5

Advertising Agency Spectrum Advertising

Exhibition Display Modular system for the display in exhibition

Exhibitions Attended• Rachana Exhibition- Institute of Engineers Last 4 years, The response has been good after the exhibition on the sales.

• Vastu Vision- Home Product Exhibition

Sample Kitchen

Sample Kitchen

Home Segment Furniture

Storage Basket with Perforations

Storage Basket

Cabinet Door Hinge Detail


Sheet MetalFurniture


Established in 1983, Onkar Furnitech is one of the most trusted brand in Healthcare Furniture. Its an ISO 9001: 2008 Certified Company. The products are out-come of constant work as a team with Engineers, Doctors & Professionals. They have a dedicated showroom of 1700sqft dedicated for hospital furniture.

Capabilities• Special reinforced machine pressed strip for bed• Special sheet border for benches and examina tion tables to hold the mattress.• Liftable wheel chair with foldable handles.• Interchangeable railing, bows, traction accessories for bed.• No screws on top for bedside lockers.

Strength• Quality. • Innovative Design.• Multi-utility of products.• 100% delivery on time.

Weakness• New CNC Machines bought, but skilled technicians to be trained.•Still establishing wide network in remote areas as well as villages.• Ventilation and space doesn’t seem to be sufficient at the present workshop. They are soon going to shift to a new workshop but not able to do so because of huge number of electricity cuts in that area.

Vision• Want to grow like Godrej in less than 10 years and new team recruited for growth of the company.

Challenges• Cost effective manufacturing.• Maintaining the quality with the competition. Competitors Main Competitors are Meditech who are huge pro-ducers of Medical Furniture but they compromise on quality and Metalbeds who are the oldest company in Medical Furniture and with highest turnover.

Name of the Unit Onkar Furnitech

Name of Owner Mrs. Vidya Onkar

Phone +91- 7104-236466


Brand Name Onkar

Products Manufactured Hospital, Office, Home, Kitchen, Dining

Year of Setup 1991


3 Marketing


Material Used Cold Roled Tubes, CR Sheets, Fuse Section, SS

No: of Machines 42

Current Marketing Method Brochure, Internet, Hoarding, Window

Point of Sales Showroom, On Order, Projects

Trade Fair Participation Home Expo - AyurvedaExpo

Onkar Furnitech Pvt. Ltd.6

Main Machineries for Manufacturing

Manufactured Products

CNC Cutting Machine

Electric Cutting Machine

Electric Pipe Cutting Machine

Powder Coating Heating Chamber

Hospital Beds are designed for various purpose. Different ailments and requirements have different bed types. Onkar Furnitech is into constant innovation of Hospital Furniture according to Market Requirement.

New Products are constantly produced with high quality fin-ish. The ergonomic factors need to be given serious thought for entering into high end market.

Designs are patented which are developed for a niche mar-ket. Space saving is one the major area which the company is working towards to.

Infrastructure • Advanced Machines for Cutting, Bending, Pressing and Punching for best quality products.• Advanced MIG/TIG and Plasma welding Machines for Quality machines.•11Tank Pre-Treatment with power transfer system.• Epoxy Polyester powder coating.

Target Market Segment The company is looking forward for pan India presence in next few years. The present manufacturing set up is being upgraded for increasing the manufacturing out-put. The company is also being trying to enter into highend hospital furniture segment with new innovative designed products.


Established in 1987, Small scale manu-facturer for almirahs, storage units, office tables and racks. All products are either completely made up of sheet metal, or contain sheet metal parts. Most products are of stan-dard sizes but modifications are made inside according to customer requirements, like arrangement of drawers, racks etc. Main marketing tool is word of mouth publicity because of 20 years of the establishment. Final product is of average quality and low finish.

Capabilities• Creating products out of Sheet Metal esp. Almirah.• Customisation according to requirement.

Strength• Affordable furniture• Customisation• Multi-utility of products.

Weakness• Lack of Automatic machines• Lack of space for expansion• Smaller network of working

Vision• To make double profit in next couple of years.

Challenges• Competing with chinese products• Maintaining the quality with cost. Infrastructure • Welding• Bending• Drilling• Shearing

Outsourced• Punching• Latching

Materials UsedSheet Metal, Steel Sections

Name of the Unit Shree Ganesh Industries

Name of Owner Murlidhar Shamrao Khade

Phone

Email

Brand Name

Products Manufactured Metal Almirah, Office Table, Racks

Year of Setup 2006

No: of Employees 3


Materials Used M.S Section & Sheets

No: of Machines 18

Current Marketing Method - NIL-

Point of Sales Showroom, Made to orders


Shri Ganesh Industries7

Target Market Segment Middle and lower middle class

Sheet Metal File Cabinet

Sheet Metal Office Executive Table


Name originated from biogas re-search that was taken up during early stages of the com-pany. Established in 1994, Biogen Energy systems manu-factures furniture as well as Air Coolers. Technical design is said to be the key strength, but unaware about other aspects of design. Design requirement is mainly in cust-omised solutions.Rust proof coolers are key strength. Immediate requirement in designing coolers (one that consumes lesser power and water) and institutional furniture.They have grassroot level strength in being able to market through village fairs and festivals, making the rural market their mainstay.

Capabilities• High end sheet metal work• Start to end process under one roof.• Grass root development

Strength • Production• Innovation• Cost is very less compared to market• Skilled labour available

Weakness• Supply Chain & Logistics• Management & Accounting.

Vision• 50% growth per year• Expand with better infrastructure• Environment conscious expansion process

Challenges• Manufacturing & Selling• Fast Delivery• Cost Target Customers• Middle Class & Lower middle class• Government sector• Rural SectorMain Machineries Wood - Beam Saw, Panel Saw, Jig Saw, Drill Machine

Metal- 4 press machines, 2 Drilling Machines, Profile cutting Router, Compressor & Powder coating unit, Spot welding

Name of the Unit Biogen Energy System/Atul

Name of Owner Chandubhai Patel

Phone

Email

Brand Name Atul

Products Manufactured Institutional, Office, Retail

Projects, Steel Almirah,

Year of Setup 1994


Current Turnover 40 lakh

Material Used Mild Steel & Stainless

Steel

Section & Mesh

No: of Machines 18


Point of Sales Projects

Trade Fair Participation Maharastra Laghu Udyog

Biogen Energy Systems8

Main MaterialHR & CR Steel - Sheet Metal, Steel Section

Out sourcedWooden Tops, Post forming

Common Complaints with the product Paint comes off in the monsoon from metal, oven dried for precaution

User Feedback Design is changed according to user feedback & budget

Metal Section cutting Grinder

Power Press

Manual Sheet Cutting

Manual Sheet Cutting

New Furniture Development


Name of the Unit Jain Industries

Name of Owner Tushar Vijay Kumar

Phone

Email

Brand Name

Products Manufactured Steel Almirah, Bed & Office furniture

Year of Setup 2000

No: of Employees 7


Materials Used Mild Steel Section and

Sheets

No: of Machines 20


Point of Sales Factory


Jain Industries

9

Established in 2000, Jain industries is specialised in making quality furniture out of sheet metal.They have established a local clientèle in home segment with their quality products. They produce durable products, which is manufactured & sold by specified specification. The products are manufactured according to specification and design suggested by customers. Design cost is included in the manufacturing.

Capabilities• Quality sheet metal furniture.• Customised products.

Strength• Quality. • After Sales service• Honest Business

Weakness• Uncertainty of available labour • Very labour intensive process• Lack of skilled labour• Lack of regular electricity supply

Vision• Want to produce better quality products.• Want to expand with better automated facility

Challenges• Cost effective manufacturing.• Maintaining the quality Competitors Nagpur market

Infrastructure • Metal Welding, Sheet bending power, Cutting -power, Drills Machines, Grinder Machines.

Outsourced Tabletop by Shrada Industries, All wooden Components


Common Fabrication Issues

Common Fabrication Issues

Sheet Metal Storage Cabinets


Institutional Furniture Office Furniture &Home furniture


Mainly a trader, deals in Chinese furni-ture and products. Has a vast showroom for the same. Only manufactures sofa sets. Takes around one week to com-plete a sofa from frame to upholstery.Working conditions in the sofa manufacturing place are haphazard and chaotic, the space used being the terrace of the mall covered with a temporary roof and with sawdust flying around. Workers were found with nails placed in their mouth for convenience while hammering nails onto the frame.The understanding of design is that design is nothing more than an aesthetic value addition. In the sofas, while the upholstery is of good quality, the frame has scope for improvement.

Capabilities Trading imported furniture for middle class market segment. Manufacturing 500 Sofa Sets a month.

Strength• Space- Biggest Showroom in Vidarbha region for display of home furniture.• One stop shop for all the furniture requirement at the home.• Latest products are available which are newly exhibited in the world.

Weakness• Outdoor Marketing for selling the products.

Vision• To set up a manufacturing unit for the production of high end sofa and other furniture.• To have an eco-friendly approach towards manufacturing process.• Improvement in Process and Operations.

Challenges• Licences for wood working machinery.• Government restrictions for saw mills.• Lower durability of imported furniture.

Main competitors in the market are Bharat Furniture, as they are biggest manufacturer of wooden furniture, but they have less showroom space to display and lack in latest designs. Next is Eros as they have a large metal fabrication section as well. They also lack in coming out with good design.

Name of the Unit Yashogovind Industries

Name of Owner Manish Nathani

Phone

Email

Brand Name Ambience

Products Manufactured Furniture, Interior Products and Sofa

Year of Setup 2004

No: of Employees 20


Materials Used Wood, Foam, Hardware

PU, Fabric

No: of Machines 6

Current Marketing Method Television, Hoarding, Win dow, Print Ads

Point of Sales Showroom, Only Sofa, Projects


Ambience Mall Target Market Segment The target segment currently is middle class but slowly want to move into high end market as well. Being one of the biggest player in interior furniture in Vidharba region, they want to extent to whole of central India by opening many more similar malls. They are also looking for the mass manufacturing of sofa sets and other furniture to compete with the chinese market but offer durable and good after sales service.

Infrastructure 3 sewing machines, cutting machines, com-pressor for pneumatic tools and hand tools.

20% of the requirements are suggested by the customers , otherwise rest is selected by whatever is displayed in the showroom. Most of the time the require-ments are about the finish and colour of fabric or leather upholstery. The marketing and sales are considered to be most important factor for the growth of the company. Minimal Complaints over the mechanism part of the process. User feedback is often on the softness of the cushion, size of the sofa, comfort level at corners and lumber support.

Blueflames Advertising Agency does all the branding work for the company which includes signages and regular inhouse adjustments for showroom layout. The brand is more inclined towards 25+ buyers. Advertisement are done through hoarding and television is also used for advertising.

10

Fastening of the TAPE

Foam Pasting Process

Band Saw for Wood cutting

Construction of the Structure of SOFA

Raw material Store


Established in 1974, Akash furniture is one of the oldest and renowned furniture manufacturers in wholesale segment. They cater to almost all the areas in furnitures segment. Doesn't believe the time is yet ripe for design intervention. Mainly focuses on institutional furni-ture and does not rely on branding.

Capabilities To manufacture large quantity furniture of wide range.

Strength• Marketing and sales• Large quantity Production• Wide range of furniture• Customisation according to the need of the client.

Weakness• Very small workshop space• Labour Shortages• Power cuts in the region

Vision• Targeting a larger manufacturing unit with bigger scale production.• The new factory oriented towards new technology in production.• School/Institutional furniture as new design/market op-portunities.

Challenges• New system to be put in place for higher production.• Processes need to be optimised according to the new technology.

Target Market Segment The company target segment is Middle Class user as well as Govt Sector Tenders. Customisation according to the customer requirement is one of their major strengths.

Infrastructure The inhouse production unit seems to be very cramped as there ae lot of new machines tat are included but the new workspace is yet under construction. The company produces its own office chair parts unlike other companies who are outsourcing the chair compo-nents.

Name of the Unit Aryan Industries

Name of Owner Akash Agrawal

Phone

Email

Brand Name Akash Furniture

Products Manufactured Institutional, Office, Home Furniture

Year of Setup 1974

No: of Employees 40


Materials Used Processed wood, M.S Sheet & Section

No: of Machines 12

Current Marketing Method Brochure, Catalougue,

Internet Marketing



Akash Industries Pvt. Ltd.

A total of around 12 machines which includes, Panel Saw, Edge banding machines, Sewing Machine, Bending Ma-chines, Routers and Welding Machines.

11

Panel Saw

Manual Edge Banding

Multiple Boring Machine

Sewing Upholstery


Established in 1974,Vishal Industries is to automate their entire facility because of the existing labour problem. Manufacture of coolers is considered their main strength. Their existing cooler model has an ISI mark and are interest-ed in new innovations in coolers. With regard to furniture, they deal with office, school and other institutional furni-ture. The also have products for homes though. The existing target market is mainly the local one. Workspace is almost entirely manual and a little bit of automation would help in overall quality as well as production efficiency. They have a set of regularly manufactured products and custom orders. Design for custom orders happen in consultation with a master worker and customer. Interested in new product design for the education industry as it is booming at present in Nagpur. Currently marketing is targeted towards educational institutions and works thanks to the established brand name and customer base. Even then they realise the need to shift to a dealer and distributor network. Looks at the unorganised sector as biggest threat.

Capabilities• Quality sheet metal furniture.• Customised products.• All range of furniture Available

Strength• Production • Stock Always available• Quality in reasonable rates• 50% rates from leading brand with same quality.• Showrooms in very prominent places

Weakness• Labour• Load shedding

Vision• Want to produce better quality products.• Want to expand with better automated facility

Challenges• Competitive Market• To increase production & Quality

Name of the Unit Vishal Industries

Name of Owner Kishore Agrawal

Phone

Email

Brand Name Vishal Furniture

Products Manufactured Office, Industrial, School, Hospital, Computer, Home Furniture, Coolers

Year of Setup 1974

No: of Employees 21

Current Turnover 4.5 Crore

Materials Used Processed wood, M.S Sheet

& Section

No: of Machines 7

Current Marketing Method Brochure, Catalougue,

News, Paper.


Trade Fair Participation Pretty Home, Vaastu Vision

Vishal Industries Pvt. Ltd.12

Competitors Local Manufacturers of Nagpur market



Advertising Agency Mirchandani & Company

Sheet Metal Cutting Machine

Power Press

Grinding Machine

Manual Press

Nursery Kids Chair

Nursery Kids Chair with Table

School Table 2 seater


Name of the Unit Harshnil Industries

Name of Owner Harish P Hande

Phone

Email

Brand Name -NIL-

Products Manufactured Steel Almirah, Home and Office Furniture

Year of Setup 1994

No: of Employees 8


Materials Used MS Section & Sheets

No: of Machines 12

Current Marketing Method Brochures, Point of Sales, Showroom, Projects, Made on Order


Harshnil Industries Pvt. Ltd.13

Established in 1994, Harshnil In-dustries is manufacturers of furnitures and Cooler. Their primary market is Wardah & secondary market is Nagpur. Their main expertise is in producing quality products out of sheet metal, like almirah & coolers. In furniture sector they manufacture institutional furniture, Health Care Sector Fur-niture, Home segment. They also work on projects as well as government tenders. They also has an Industrial Training Institute, in which they train young students to work with modern machines for quality output.

Capabilities• Quality sheet metal furniture.• Customised products.

Strength• Production • Customisation• Reasonable cost

Weakness• Labour• Load shedding• Fabrication in very bad shape• Payment recovery is not stable• Nagpur market is very competitive.

Vision• Want to produce better quality products.• To be top manufacturers in Wardah


Competitors The local players in Nagpur market outsource the sheet metal work to small group/households who have con-tributed among themselves to buy Press Machine as well as other sheet metal processing machines. They charge very less as their labour cost as no skilled labourers are working on it. It has become really difficult to compete with these manufacturers.

Infrastructure • Metal Welding, Sheet bending power, Cutting -power, Drills Machines, Grinder Machines. Powder coating unit has been put up recently.

Target Market Segment Middle and lower middle class, Institution and Hospitals

Name of the Unit Rachana Metal Works

Name of Owner Nitin Jaiswal

Phone

Email

Brand Name Joyco Furniture

Products Manufactured Executive Chair, Office and Home Furniture

Year of Setup 2005

No: of Employees 12

Current Turnover -NIL-

Materials Used Wood, Processed Wood, MS Sheet and Section

No: of Machines 12

Current Marketing Method Brochure, Catalogue, Win dow Display

Point of Sales Showroom, Projects, Made on Order


Rachana Metal Works14

Established in 2005, Rachana metal works manufactures all kind of metal furniture. They have a manufacturing unit with basic machinery. Their manufactur-ing process id very labour intensive. They sell their products from showrooms as well as work on project execution.

Capabilities• All type of metal furniture.• Customised products.

Strength• Labour intensive Production • Customisation• Reasonable cost• Variety of design and finishes

Weakness• Labour Irregularities• Load shedding• Fabrication in very bad shape• Cramped space

Vision• Want to produce better quality products.• To make a niche in the market with quality products.


Competitors The local players in Nagpur market

Infrastructure • Metal Welding, Sheet bending power, Cutting -power, Drills Machines, Grinder Machines. Target Market Segment Middle and lower middle class, Institution and Hospitals


Wooden Furniture


Established in 1996, Brand name reflects key strength-the manufacturing process. Believes that the value of the product is communicated to the cus-tomer only when he actually uses it. Showing photographs don't do the job. Potential for building graphic and mul-timedia content to present the value of the brand. All the furniture comes in ready to assemble form, is stackable and uses standard hardware. Well proportioned simple , clean geometric lines emphasize comfort and utility to make this furniture suitable in any context.

Capabilities• Bent ply furniture• Home Furniture Segment

Strength• Innovation• Technology• Durability• Ergonomics• Reasonable cost• Variety of design and finishes

Weakness• Marketing

Vision• To provide complete range of Home Furniture segment all across the country.

Challenges• Competitive Market• To to come up with better designs.

Infrastructure High frequency Press Machines for Veneer Joining. Target Market Segment Middle and lower middle class Home segment

Name of the Unit Wood Mould Pvt. Ltd

Name of Owner Pradeep Pillai & Pradeep Thacker

Phone

Email

Brand Name Bentwood

Products Manufactured Home , Office and Institu- tional Furniture

Year of Setup 1996

No: of Employees 40


Materials Used BentPly

No: of Machines 20

Current Marketing Method Brochure, Window Display, Print Ads


Trade Fair Participation Pragathi Maidan,

Bentwood Furniture Pvt. Ltd.15

Bent Component out from Mould

Different layers of veneer

Office Chair

Side Lamp

Mould


Publicity is mainly through word of mouth and sales through showroom. Admits that most of the de-signs are lifted from existing catalogs. Major competition is Chinese furniture. Local competitor is Bharat furniture, who have better quality and wood furniture. However Bharat's main market is upper middle class market. Has an own de-sign of a double bed that retracts into a dewan bed. Though the idea is good, the product needs lot more refinement and detailing to compete with other furniture. Future initiatives would concentrate on investing in own strength and widen-ing the market reach.

Capabilities• Quality wooden furniture• Customised products.

Strength• Marketing Team in the showroom• Reasonable cost• Variety of design and finishes• Trading• Quality

Weakness• Labour Irregularities• Load shedding• Non Availability of Latest hardware in the market.

Vision• Want to produce better quality products.• To make a niche in the market with quality products.

Challenges• Competitive Market at Local level• To increase production & Quality• To incorporate new design • Compete with Chinese Products & Quality

Competitors The local players in Nagpur market & Chinese Prod-ucts• Crystal• Spacewood• Eros• Bharat Furniture

Name of the Unit OM Trading Company

Name of Owner Milind Anjikar

Phone +91-9422807298


Brand Name Om Furniture

Products Manufactured Fabrication, Modular, Play ground Equipment

Year of Setup 1989

No: of Employees 30 labour 3 marketing

Current Turnover 1.8 Crore

Material Used Wood, SS & MS Section and Sheet

No: of Machines 14

Current Marketing Method Brochures, Window Display

Point of Sales Showroom Sales


OM Trading Company16

Infrastructure • Wood Cutting, Drilling, Routers• Metal Sheet Metal, Semi Automated Machines, Pipe Section Target Market Segment Middle and lower middle class, Institution and Hospitals


Name of the Unit Vaidya Industries

Name of Owner

Phone

Email

Brand Name

Products Manufactured Institutional, Office Furni ture

Year of Setup 1985

No: of Employees 40

Current Turnover 4 Crores

Materials Used MS Section & Sheet

No: of Machines 25


Point of Sales Govt Tenders


Vaidya Industries Pvt. Ltd.17

Set up in 1996, Vaidya Industries are mainly concentrating on government projects, and make according to the specifications of the tenders. They have a very good setup for making metal components, the rest they either outsource or make to order from other vendors. They are also into Modular furniture like kitchen cabinets. They also have a small setup for doing wooden components.

Capabilities• Steel Components• Standardised products• Mass Production

Strength• Quality• Mass Production• Variety of design and finishes• Rural Market

Weakness• Labour Irregularities• Load shedding• Lack of modern equipment• Government Policies

Vision• Want to produce better quality products• Invest largely into Design


Competitors The local players in Nagpur market & Chinese Prod-ucts


Post Forming Machine

CNC Cutting

Manual Cutting


Name of the Unit Nagpur Furniture Works

Name of Owner Amarjeet Singh

Phone

Email

Brand Name Nagpur Furniture

Products Manufactured Home , Office and Institu tional Furniture

Year of Setup 1963

No: of Employees 10

Current Turnover 40 Lakhs

Materials Used Wood and MildSteel Section

No: of Machines 16

Current Marketing Method Brochures



Nagpur Furniture Pvt. Ltd.18

Established in 1963, Nagpur Furniture is one of the oldest furniture showrooms in Nagpur. They manufacture all kinds of wooden furniture, with a lot of cus-tomisation according to customer needs. They have a manu-facturing unit with all machines for wood working and wants to expand to steel furniture. Good faith has helped them to grow in their business. They have an excellent footfall in their showroom and Mr. Amarjeet Singh designs, discuss & negotiate with the customer in the showroom. They have an excellent after sales service.

Capabilities• Quality wooden furniture• Customised products

Strength• Quality• Reasonable cost• Variety of design and finishes• Time• Relation with customer

Weakness• Labour Irregularities• Load shedding• Lack of modern equipment

Vision• Want to produce better quality products• To make a niche in the market with quality products• Expand to metal furniture as well


Competitors The local players in Nagpur market & Chinese Prod-ucts

Infrastructure • Wood Cutting, Drilling, Routers

Target Market Segment

Middle and lower middle class, Home segment


Day 1SeminarPresentation

DesignAwareness Programme




Seminar at Udhyog Bhavan The seminar was part of 5 day design workshop. It was conducted at Udyog Bhavan. Shri Shrikanth Kulkarni from MCED Nagpur coordinated and organised the seminar. It was attended by MSME unit owners and MCED officials. The guest speaker was Nilesh Misal from Banglore who is running his own consultancy. The seminar started with my presentation, which was followed by presentation of Nilesh Misal, then we screened a documentary titled ‘Objectified’. Later we had a question answer session with the MSME owners and other participants of the seminar.

Inaugural ceremony

Inaugural speech by Mr. Shrikanth Kulkarni

Presentation by Mr. Binu Bhaskaran

Presentation by Mr. Nilesh Misal

Question and Answer session

Participants

Participants

Participants


Day 2workshop



Vaidya Industries Pvt. Ltd.

The packaging of the product is done very badly and inadequately.

The exposed bolt head on a table top reduces the life of a school furniture as the kids always tend to try opening it and it can also be quite uncomfortable to have it over a table top.

The welding tools are not standardized, due to which the welding finishes do not come proper and in certain cases it can prove dangerous too because of projec-tions.

The storage facilities are not well maintained. The mate-rial is dumped in the hall way and create issues when the material has to be taken out production. The material while taken out for selection blocks the entire hallway.

The measuring tools are not standardised so there is a lot of dimension difference in each furniture made. which is later on adjusted by cutting, fitting, adding. A lot of labour time is lost in doing the work.

The drilling is not done in right angle, so the holes tend to be in an angle, which can later on be very difficult to fit various components to together

Design Issues


Vishal Industries Pvt. Ltd.

The chair is manufactured for kids at Nursery. The sec-tions used make the chair very heavy, making it really difficult to move it around. The edges of the chair seat or back are not rounded, which may really hurt the user.

The two seater bench has too many component to give it the structural stability. It is possible to reduce the number of components to make the product look sim-pler but not compromising on function or stability.

Vishal furniture showed interest in new designs in air-coolers and also school furniture. Vishal has adequate infrastructure to manufacture good storage units. Stor-age units for schools is a potential idea for a design project

Akash Industries Pvt. Ltd.

There is no angular measurement adjusted while the weld-ing is being carried out. So most of the furniture are not manufactured with prescribed angels.

Usually the earlier finished piece is taken as the reference for finishing the subsequent piece. So any error in the ear-lier piece gets on aggravating in the later one

Product Development

The company believes that there is a lot of scope in the school segment and mass production of insti-tutional furniture is one of their future goals. Their is a lot of scope in product development in this particular segment as they have never given serious consideration to same because of the low scale of production. Wit the incorpora-tion of new technology, it becomes even more important to develop your products to decrease the production cost and to increase the quality of the products.

Scope of Technology

The technology upgradation and expan-sion of workspace is already in the plan as company was to slowly shift from customised products to mass production. technology should be chosen wisely according to future expansion & product development.

Scope of R&D As the unit produces almost all kind of furni-ture including government sector projects too. So it is very important to reduce the inventory by mass production of certain products and to store it in the warehouse. Research & Development can be done for upgradation of technology, selection of best method of production, Reduction of inven-tory.

Training & Skill A lot of skill upgrading is required at the present setup or if the upgrading of technology happens. As most of the work is done with hand and with constant shift of la-bour, the quality of product is heavily affected. The workers need to be sensitized to give quality finish.

Opportunity Analysis

Design Issues Design Issues



Design Solution


Day 3workshop



The furniture piece lacks in the visual unity of forms of various components.The furniture needs to be looked in totality than taking individual pieces and putting them together.

Side lamp has too many components and fixtures. The lamp can be aesthetically enhanced by removing the large amount of screws.

Bentwood Furniture Pvt. Ltd.

The processes have been triggerred by Bentwood to ex-ecute a design project to develop a new range of products. The present range of products are of exemplary quality and finish. The focusing point in the company is the emphasis is on the unique manufacturing process of the company(which is rightly kept under wraps due to fear of plagiarism). The sale of the products is however limited by the market reach of the company. As Mr Pradeep Thakker puts it,”The quality and comfort levels of the products are difficult to commu-nicate through photographs and are understood only when sat upon”. However through different audio visual media like multimedia slideshows, videos etc. these essential qualities of the products can be communicated. An online catalog and website can also suggest the same.

PRODUCT DESIGNA great scope of design as the technology which is indig-enously developed by bent wood . Diversification into hotel, office and retail segment.

Technology UpgradationAs the infrastructure has yet to reach the peak production. So technology Upgradation not required

Scope of R&D / Market StudyThis is a material Technology Intensive Production Proce-dure. R& D will always help to develop new Avenue to use the existing Technology.

Exhibition & DisplayExhibition display can be a good area to invest due to better designed furniture and relatively new technology in this part of the country.

Enviornment FactorsThe process is enviornment friendly as the material wastage is almost nill or minimal and the operations are setup ina way to use the wastage produced in new designs.

Design Issues



Design Solution


Argus Home Products Scope for Product Design, Redesign, P- Development. Currently her expertise as well as infrastruc-ture for manufacturing wire mesh products. This expertise could be taken forward to manufacture furniture as well as lifestyle products. Its process is of particular advantage in the case of furniture, as it can result in sturdy as well as vi-sually light furniture. An advantage especially when you are dealing with urban population where constraints in terms of space means conventional furniture wont work.

Technology Upgradation

As the company is pushing towards home furniture segment in metal segment as they think there are

Aakruti Home Products Scope of Product Design & Development

The company has been manufacturing steel kitchen cabinets from the present unit which is cater-ing to the local market. Now the plan for them to expand and built a better skill development. Their move to shift to knockdown system for kitchen cabinets to replace welding can be very important as a future goal for the company as a future goal for the company as it has many advantages. Like transportation cost, manufacturing ease, installation ease, environmental friendly and they can also get the required machinery according to needs of the process and design for the new factory. Redesign in the colour palate of the prod-uct is also required.

enough players in the market in the same segment, but they are using different material in their production process. The shift in the product range can be properly understood and the technology upgradation can be done in a way the company get maximum benefit out of it and the technology do not get outdated soon. As well looking into present product range of kitchen cabinets, technology upgradation will help them to deliver better quality products.

Environmental Factors

A good deal understanding need to be imparted as all the manufacturing process uses welding in the joining the parts. Welding fumes can be very injurious to workers health as well as to the environment. It would be advis-able to have a systematic approach to shift to screwed and bolted joints without compromising on the strength of the products.

Exhibition Display Design

A systems for displaying products in exhibition can be made. It should be easy to assemble and dis assemble. It will also show the way products of the company works as it will use the same technology.

Scope of Technology Upgradation

As the company is moving towards a new approach on their products , the technology upgrading is very much required and is in pipeline. The management has to just make sure that the upgrading will last them very long and doesn’t get soon outdated.

Scope of R& D and Market Study The R&D needs to be done on alter-nate manufacturing technique or investment on hardware which will help them attain their future goals of new prod-uct development. R&D can be done in al stages of market study, material, processes, as well as the operation and machine selection parts. Market study is very vital if one is trying to expand the market from regional level to national level. A strategic planning towards market study will help them in long run to achieve their goal.

Environmental Factors

In view of the fact that the company is moving towards knock down joinery in place of welded joints show their commitment towards the enviornment.


Design Solution



Day 4workshop



Onkar Furnitech Pvt. Ltd.

The Nut & Bolt are exposed in a life saving trolley,which can easily hinder the line of cables of life saving machines.

The sharp edges sheet metal of the Stretcher is not detailed and these edges are left open, which might cause damage to the patient as well as the attendant

The Side table has sharp metal plate protruding up, which can cause discomfort to the patients using it, as well as the space between the storage can be used in a better way if the storage is bought up or by reducing the number of supports to the top.

ErgonomicsBeing suppliers in hospital furniture, they mentioned having to furnish hospitals with not enough space. In such situa-tions ergonomics play a crucial role. If the current layouts of arrangement as well as the furniture is subject to detailed ergonomic analysis and the accompanying suggestions, modifications and other improvements are incorporated in the existing designs, a coherent system could be developed to execute adaptable, functional and efficient furnishing systems for hospitals and other medical environments.

Scope of Product DesignAs the company is into innovation of new products in hospi-tal segment and other related field. Investing on design can be considered as an option. Investment in design can help find new specific areas where there is a need of product development. eg. Design of hospital furniture for rural segment. OR we can also think of diversifying their product range which involves sheet metal components, like Labs & Retail.

Scope of R&D / Market SurveyThe scope of R&D which will include market study as well

will help the unit to experiment with new materials as well as invest in areas which will take shape later in future.

Training & skill upgradationAs the Machineries in the Unit has been recently procured, there is a requirement of skill upgrading for optimum use of the setup and quality output.

Environmental FactorsAs the company mostly deals with Hospital furniture, it is in their better interest to have environmental certification.Industry can evaluate products and processes based on four performance criteria:• Materials• Use of energy• Atmosphere and ecosystem health• Social responsibility

Gain a Competitive Edge in the Market by • Increase your product acceptance by identifying your

level of commitment to the environment. • Certification provides independent verification of qual-

ity, performance and product claims. • Validate and support the credibility of your sustainable

claims with third-party certification.

Exhibition and DisplayA very good display unit can be created for display of new products in various exhibition. The innovation can be show-cased in various exhibition, which can help increase in sales as well as it becomes an advertising point.


Design Solution

Design Issues


Biogen Energy Systems

Harshnil Industries Pvt. Ltd.

Shri Ganesh Industries

Biogen has experience in fabricating air-coolers, canopies for generators as well as furniture among other things. Mr Chandubhai Patel showed interest in seeking design intervention in the area of air-coolers(how it can be made more efficient in terms of energy and water consumption) and furniture.

Product Development As a company which has always believed in in-novation as their strong point, is willing to invest in high speed precision machines because of lack of labour and reduction of time in product delivery. As the new machines will be invested, there will be a good need of new design in sync with the upgraded technology.

In the present setup too there is a requirement for looking into ergonomic factors of designed furniture as it can be of a concern especially with the mass scale of production. Incase of cooler which they are one of the biggest producers in Nagpur Market. They working at the technol-ogy which uses less power and impart more energy from the cooler. Great deal of investment is required in terms of technology development, Product development & Redesign in this field.

Scope of Technology upgradation As a part of expansion plan, technology upgarda-tion needs to be done very conciuosly. Plant Layout as well as the work flow with the new machines needs to be worked out properly.

Scope of R & D

A large scope of R&D exist in the feild of furniture ergonomics as a mass manufacturers. They need to study the group they are catering. R&D into various material and manufacturing process can also bring profit to the unit. R&D will also predict the future issues that the company has to face in the future.

Training and Skill A basic training and skill upgradation will help bring better quality goods. An advanced skill recruitment as well as development programme will be required as the unit is upgrading its infrastructure. Educating everyone on producing better output by performing their task properly.

Environment Factors As the company has always had environment friendly practices like manufacture and market Biogas plant to rural Population. Latest investment into producing cooler which consume less power shows the commitment the company towards environmental friendly practices. Also providing quality products to rural and tribal belt is one of their achievement and goals.

Product Design & Development

The products are produced with high level of workmanship. The company can diversify them-selves in home segment furniture like Living room furniture & Dinning room furniture, Bedroom furnitureas well as they can diversify themselvess into laboratory furniture.

Ergonomic factors As good amount of work is done by hand, workers can be given better tools and surfaces so that the postures are correct while working .

Market Study As the problem seems to be of labourers and the electricity supply. It is a policy level matter which needs to be taken up by MSME council.

New Product DevelopmentOpportunity Analysis


Sheet Metal Works

Introduction

Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metal-working, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material. Thicknesses can vary significantly, although extremely thin thicknesses are considered foil or leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25 in) are considered plate.

Sheet metal processing

The raw material for sheet metal manufacturing processes is the output of the rolling process. Typically, sheets of metal are sold as flat, rectangular sheets of standard size. If the sheets are thin and very long, they may be in the form of rolls. Therefore the first step in any sheet metal process is to cut the correct shape and sized ‘blank’ from larger sheet.

Sheet metal forming processes

Sheet metal processes can be broken down into two major classifications and one minor classification• Shearingprocesses--processeswhichapplyshearing forces to cut, fracture, or separate the material. • Formingprocesses--processeswhichcausethemetal to undergo desired shape changes without failure, excessive thinning, or cracking. This includes bending and stretching. • Finishingprocesses--processeswhichareusedtoimprove the final surface characteristics.

Shearing ProcessPunching: shearing process using a die and punch where the interior portion of the sheared sheet is to be discarded.

Blanking: shearing process using a die and punch where the exterior portion of the shearing operation is to be discarded.

Perforating: punching a number of holes in a sheet

Parting: shearing the sheet into two or more pieces

Notching: removing pieces from the edges

Lancing: leaving a tab without removing any material

Forming ProcessesBending: forming process causes the sheet metal to un-dergo the desired shape change by bending without failure

Stretching: forming process causes the sheet metal to undergo the desired shape change by stretching without failure.

Drawing: forming process causes the sheet metal to under-go the desired shape change by drawing without failure.

Roll forming: Roll forming is a process by which a metal strip is progressively bent as it passes through a series of forming rolls.


Day 5workshop



With Ambience Mall, the major strength is the elaborate showroom space. But they lack in terms of manufactur-ing infrastructure. Currently the only manufacturing that happens deals with sofas. The final finish and aesthetics of these sofas are acceptable owing to good upholstery. However the present method of construction of the frame is quite crude. This situation presents itself as an opportunity to develop a series of frames using modular prefabricated parts(prefabricated since there isn’t enough workshop space for new machines).

The workshop floor needs to be subject to analysis within the scope of ergonomics, efficiency, layout and safety.

Ambience Mall

Product DevelopmentTheir current product range and method of construction with hand tools as well as semi- automatic machines gives them to work on the domestic market.

In product development, they are used to come up with their own product range of the products with better look and details of the colour.

we have suggested some possible ways they can be looking forward for developing their new range of sofa a very fast and durable ways

Technology up gradationTechnology upradation in the present site is not very much possible, but it can nave much better operation and work flow. The output can be maximised by using better ma-chines and accesseries of much better quality.

Training & UpgardationThe skill upgradation definitely need to be considered.

Tajpuria Woodworks Pvt. Ltd.Being an OEM for 6-7 years, Tajpuria Woodworks has the infrastructure and ability to manufacture. The suggested possible direction is of a system of products with common prefabricated parts. This would make the production eco-nomically viable and enable them to provide products made of stronger, durable and better quality material.

The interview also suggested that he is not interested in of-fice furniture as he is already an OEM for Godrej. Instead he wants to focus on home furniture-mainly living room, dining and bedroom furniture.

Research & DevelopmentThey have a very good manufacturing unit as well as a very well established clientele within the industry. One lacking field we discussed is a dedicated Research & Development setup which makes a systematic approach towards foreseeing the market in future and steering the company to achieve their goals through various challenges in market fluctuation. R & D department should look into

new Material Exploration, Optimum use of Infrastructure, New Market possibilities, Trend Study, Tie up with Market Nationally and Internationally. Market SurveyMarket Study is one of the stepping stone towards de-livering a high quality designed product. It will allow the company to understand the latest trendz and help them fit themselves in a space which is not yet explored by the competitors.

Enviornmental AspectsMost buyers demand that goods be manufactured to meet requirements for quality. Today, many are also insisting that manufacturing processes are Safe, Clean and Environ-mentally friendly &Sustainable. Increasing your level of commitment to the environment, in a multi-attributed, multi-faceted approach towards stain-ability that provides manufacturers with valuable resources for evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of their furniture products, company and processes. Industry can evaluate products and processes based on four performance criteria: • Materials • Use of energy • Atmosphere and ecosystem health • Social responsibility

Gain a Competitive Edge in the Market by • Increase your product acceptance by identifying your-

level of commitment to the environment. • Certification provides independent verification of qual-

ity, performance and product claims. • Validate and support the credibility of your sustainable

claims with third-party certification.


Design Solution


Design Solution


The Need Assessment Survey and the Design Workshop has allowed me to interact with various MSME units in Nagpur and allowed me to look into various opportunity areas that we can work to put better products and furniture in the market.

User Study & Survey A strong user study should be always conducted to make a product so that it becomes useful for the user as well as reducing the risk of product failure. It will also help to grow from a just being a manufacture driven company to user driven company.

Manufacturing Process The manufacturing process is very local market oriented as well as made to order type. The manufacturing slowly should look towards mass produc-tion for which a vision as well as investment should be laid down.

Cluster Approach As Nagpur is a manufacturing hub has a huge potential but as manufacturers are not trying to use each others resources to mutual benefit. Most of the manufacturers are very reluctant to share the resources with others.

Labour Problems In recent years shortage of labour has created a lot of problems for manufacturers. They are trying to put automated machinery for manufacturing so as to reduce their dependency on labourers and achieve better

quality products. A cluster approach will help to reduce the initial investment by the manufacturers.

Competition The competition between the manu-facturers are very healthy. They are ready to accept the challenges posed by the competitors in a very healthy man-ner and to look for solutions to overcome those.

Raw Material As a manufacturing hub the raw mate-ials are readily available, but the quality largely varies with the manufacturers, especially with sheet metal furniture as most of it is hand crafted. Web Marketing & Connectivity Web can be used as one of very pow-erful tools to be connected to the world, As web marketing and e-business is picking up in a rapid speed, it would be very necessary to catch up with the world for new opportu-nities.

Summary


Documents

Report of Design Awareness Programmedesignclinicsmsme.org/Design Awareness Programme Reports/NAS+D… · casting units of NECO Ltd. ... group),units of International Combustion, Bajaj