Page 44 - FDMAsia JulAug 2025

42 MATERIALS JUL/AUG 2025 FDM ASIA | www.fdmasia.com

Gorodenkoff Productions OU • To assess the technical feasibility and material characteristics
The primary objectives of this study are as follows:

of using wood-pellet-based composites in smart furniture
manufacturing.

• To examine the role of TQM principles in ensuring the
quality, adaptability, and environmental compliance of
these products.
• To analyse the potential environmental and economic
impacts arising from the integration of such innovations
demand for personalisation. into the furniture industry.
In this context, leveraging sustainable materials in conjunction
with intelligent design has become a strategic imperative. To address the research gap in the intersection of renewable
Although wood pellets have historically been utilised as materials, intelligent product systems, and quality governance,

densified biofuels, recent advancements in material engineering the study was guided by the following research questions:
suggest that they may serve as feedstock for wood–plastic 1. How can wood-pellet-derived composite materials be
composites (WPCs), which are more suitable for non-structural effectively re-engineered and applied in smart customised
furniture components. furniture design and production?
At the same time, smart furniture, powered by sensors 2. In what ways can TQM frameworks enhance product
and IoT modules, is emerging as a key segment in home quality, customer satisfaction, and sustainability in this
automation and ergonomic design. context?

Embedding TQM practices into this innovation pipeline 3. What are the environmental and economic implications of
ensures consistent product quality, operational efficiency, and adopting intelligent wood-pellet-based innovations in the
long-term user satisfaction. furniture industry?
Thus, this study explored how these three domains—
sustainable material engineering, smart product systems, and Besides, in the current global emphasis on sustainable
TQM—can be coherently integrated to promote innovation in development, the manufacturing industry is actively seeking
sustainable furniture manufacturing. innovative design models that integrate eco-friendly materials,
Traditional furniture manufacturing often results in significant smart technologies, and quality management.
environmental burdens including deforestation, resource overuse, Green manufacturing emphasises minimising environmental

and post-consumer waste. The growing need for sustainable impact during production and improving resource efficiency. At
alternatives calls for novel material repurposing strategies that the same time, TQM is regarded as a key strategy to enhance
support circularity and low-impact production. product quality and organisational performance.
This research is motivated by the hypothesis that wood In the context of Industry 4.0, the integration of TQM with
pellets—if processed into engineered composites—can be smart manufacturing is receiving increasing attention.
adapted for non-load-bearing components in smart furniture Moreover, the development of smart furniture reflects
systems. the fusion of technology and design as embedded sensors

Moreover, the adoption of TQM frameworks can reinforce and IoT technologies enable personalised functionality while
quality consistency and sustainability across the product lifecycle. aligning with environmental objectives.