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Innovations are born in the team: the constructive collaboration between the designer and the specialists at Brunner has already spawned a great number of remarkable innovative developments. Within the company, a designated research and development team is responsible for developing new models and modifying existing ones – and in this context, they also rework and improve details. The result are numerous innovations, e.g. sleight ultralight, the lightest folding table worldwide, or alite, the chair that can be recycled 100% percent after a long life of use..
The kinematic linkage – for sitting in motion
A particularly representative example for innovative elements is the kinematic linkage used in the new conference chair finasoft: this v-shaped spring steel swinging bracket creates a particular kind of comfort with a pleasantly springy seating sensation – while being intelligently simple.
Michael Hauser, head of the development team, explains: “It is our task to take the idea of the designer all the way to a functional and most of all affordable serial product. That was also the case with the kinematic linkage of finasoft.” By using this v-shaped spring, designer Wolfgang C.R. Mezger wanted to achieve an additional degree of seating comfort, and he demonstrated his idea with a foam rubber model. But how could the desired degree of mobility be realized technically by using spring steel? And even more importantly, doing it in such a way that it really made active sitting possible, moving in all directions, while at the same time providing the user with the necessary safety?
From the idea to series-production readiness
Michael Hauser compares the new degree of comfort with the seating sensation on a cantilever chair, but here you are not only flexible towards the back and the front, but in all directions – e.g. when taking something out of a sideway desk drawer. “Now we have a damped rotational movement with finasoft, which otherwise requires complicated mechanics. And by the way”, he reveals, “the clean connection to the frame was a particular challenge.” The fact that such innovative developments and up looking really simple it is a matter of course for him: “A development is good when it comes across as self-evident. When we say, ‘Yes, of course, it has to look like this!’.” By then, of course a lot of work has gone into such projects; this development for example took some 10 months from first idea till production readiness. The average development times are between two months and two years.
Hand in hand for quality
At Brunner, the meticulous workers come from several departments: up to 6 specialists are active in the development team, they come from carpenter’s shop, upholstery, final assembly, technology and directly from the management board. Together with the designer and resourceful third-party vendors, they develop the new solutions. The team is coordinated by Head of Technology Michael Hauser.
Try it out – without compromising the design
Something that surely differentiates Brunner from other manufacturers: The determination and the willingness to try out such technical feasibility’s together with the designer. They don’t shy back to invest time and money while tackling the challenge to do the things still a little bit better yet. Even when it sometimes takes several attempts.