Klaussner Home Furnishings aims for speed and standardization with Lectra technology

ATLANTA, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials -- fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials -- is pleased to announce that Klaussner Home Furnishings, one of the largest producers of residential furniture in the United States, has chosen Lectra's advanced 3D/2D design and product development solution.

Klaussner has been a mainstay in the United States for the last 50 years, producing more than 500 styles in its manufacturing and distribution facilities in North Carolina. The company prides itself on its product breadth and upholstery options -- 600 fabric choices and more than 75 leathers, and is able to produce custom-order furniture domestically in fewer than 21 days.

"The economic environment of the last several years impacted many industries in the United States. Now with the furniture industry on the rebound, we are evaluating key processes and technologies to drive efficiencies within our operation," explains Glenn Kahn, Vice President of Manufacturing for Klaussner Home Furnishings. "We have used CAD software for our frame design for years, but we had never attempted to use the approach for our upholstery design. Upholstery is a whole new ballgame because the challenges are greater when dealing with a number of elements like pleats and different fabrics."

Klaussner relied on manual processes for its upholstery development process, and with several product developers all using different methods, geometry challenges often arose. "We were looking for software that could help accelerate our development cycle time, provide clean geometry, create up-to-date technical files and standardize our process across developers. Lectra provided a complete package to help us accomplish all of these goals."

The company will use DesignConcept 3D for upholstery as well as frame design. "In the time it currently takes us to develop a frame, our goal is to use Lectra's solution to have the complete piece developed," says Glenn Kahn. "DesignConcept 3D will give us the ability to optimize our designs and make decisions early in the process, rendering a piece of furniture before any materials are even cut. It is often difficult to express the exact design you are envisioning, so this rendering enables us to start from a better concept, eliminate the communication gap between our groups and significantly reduce the amount of time we spend on the development process. The number of prototypes we create today can vary from style to style. With this advanced technology, we aim to get down to one physical prototype before validation on every piece we develop."

"Lectra has a strong history in overcoming the furniture industry's challenges through a combination of process expertise and advanced technology," comments Celine Choussy Bedouet, Marketing Director for Automotive, Furniture, Technical Textiles and Composite Materials, Lectra. "DesignConcept 3D has a proven track record of reducing cycle time, enhancing quality and improving costs for furniture companies around the world. We look forward to helping Klaussner Home Furnishings obtain these same benefits with this and other Lectra solutions as our companies continue to forge a strong partnership."

"At Klaussner, we see this as a long term relationship with Lectra. We are also looking at the company's advanced fabric and leather cutting technologies, and we may incorporate these as we see the benefits that seamless integration can deliver," concludes Glenn Kahn.

About Klaussner Home Furnishings
Headquartered in Asheboro, N.C., Klaussner Home Furnishings has grown to become one of the largest furniture companies in America, recently moving to its 90,000 square foot showroom in High Point. With a network of facilities to house and produce goods and worldwide import sources, Klaussner continues to lead the industry in best practices and customer satisfaction. The company currently offers more than 500 furniture styles with 600 fabric choices, and more than 75 leather options, and guarantees delivery of its domestic products in 21 days or less.

About Lectra
Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate, streamline and accelerate product design, development and manufacturing processes for industries using soft materials. Lectra develops the most advanced specialized software and cutting systems and provides associated services to a broad array of markets including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), furniture, as well as a wide variety of other market sectors, such as aeronautical and marine industries, wind power and personal protective equipment. Lectra serves 23,000 customers in more than 100 countries with 1,400 employees and $270 million in 2013 revenues. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext.

For more information, please visit www.lectra.com

Lectra North America: Jahmin Lee
Email: [email protected]
Tel.: +1 770 422 8050 - Fax: +1 800 538 7619

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140422/77229

SOURCE Lectra