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Engineered hardwood - literally never used for strength - Solely for CNC routering[edit]
As the title says: Manufacturers who use engineered hardwoods and other types of sheet/plywoods do so almost exclusively to enable the use of automation - CNC routering. Large retail furniture brands demand this, not only because it ensures that every item is produced as close to identically as possible and thus that the product looks, feels, and measures the same every time, but also in order to enable manufacturing "portability" of the design. The industry commonly employs Southeast Asian manufacturers to make "basic styles" or pre-stocked and warehoused "quickship" options that are usually specified with "basic features" (a small range of neutral colors, a small range of sizes/shapes, etc.), while performing any "made to order" low volume 1-off production in North American manufacturing. This is the strategy that is employed by *all* of the easily referenced brand name brick and mortar retail furniture brands whose stores are commonly found in high end malls. From the manufacturing side, plywood/engineered hardwood frames cut by CNC enable the complete elimination of a "high skill" framer with a low skill "assembler" whose can simply assemble frames from pre-cut components with tabs and grooves (mortise and tenon) added for simple "lego like" assembly. The only other commonly encountered application of this type of material is "any volume" of rounded/"bio-inspired" frame shapes (example, Vladimir Kagan style). Its impractical to make these designs with straight boards, and whether 1-off or volume, they are made using patterns cut out of plywood sheets. For all other volumes and bespoke or 1-off, straight lumber is used. Its even common from the enormous southeast asian manufacturers.67.165.123.62 (talk) 06:53, 7 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]
