From Study Room Chairs to G20 Summit Chairs... Made by Robots?

Eight robotic arms stand in a row, sparking as they weld chairs, while a strength test is conducted nearby
Automation from cutting to washing allows staff to focus on detailed work

A Coas Paju factory employee is testing the strength of a chair armrest using a front load corner tester.
[Photo by Coas].

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Inside the factory, where the heatwave hovered around 35℃, robots were spewing hot sparks. Just watching made sweat flow, but the sight of eight robotic arms lined up, welding chairs with flying sparks, was spectacular. In the adjacent room, a heavy machine was pressing down on a nearly finished chair as if to crush it. This was a performance test to check the strength of the completed chair. Through this process, 20,000 chairs are produced every month.

Koas is a specialized office environment company that started with office furniture and now operates in space consulting. The quality testing room located at Koas Paju Plant 1 is accredited as an international certified testing institution by KOLAS (Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme). Various testing equipment such as chair rotation testers, caster shock driving performance testers, and cabinet door opening and closing testers are installed.

Koas produces and supplies all products in-house at Paju Plants 1 and 2 and the Gimpo Plant. In the wood and veneer production area of Paju Plant 1, most tasks are carried out through automated processes. Environmentally friendly materials with E0 grade placed on the workbench are automatically cut by robots according to the sizes and measurements input on the monitor and passed on to the next stage, with even the cleaning of the edges automated.

From material receipt to final delivery, the entire process can be monitored through an 'Integrated Inventory Management System.' Using smart pads, production, inventory, and shipment status between headquarters and factories can be tracked in real time. Product receipt processing, real-time packing processing, and the connection between physical goods and computer systems allow immediate inventory checks, and the comprehensive production dashboard enables real-time monitoring of desired information anytime and anywhere.

Kim Yong-han, head of the Quality Control Team at Paju Plant, confidently stated, "Through the Integrated Inventory Management System, we achieved a 20% increase in productivity and a 20% reduction in manufacturing waste costs, naturally improving quality as well."

With robots automatically performing welding, productivity improved, allowing focus on more detailed work and resulting in better quality. Koas gained global attention by supplying chairs for the 2010 G20 Summit. Online chair sales in the first half of this year grew by 600% compared to the previous year.

Although Koas is famous for its chairs, it is better known in the industry as a space design company. Established in 1984 under the name 'Korea OA,' it was the first in Korea to introduce OA (office automation) system office furniture. It was listed on the KOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index) in 2005 and changed its name to Koas in 2011.

The showroom is located in Dangsan-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. For companies expanding overseas, Koas often sends employees locally first to handle office space design. Koas completes designs and product specifications considering the characteristics of the work region, employee tasks, and compatibility with surrounding electronic devices, and directly produces and arranges the products. Design is needed not only for various corporate office spaces but also for hospitals, libraries, schools, and kindergartens.

Due to the impact of COVID-19 last year, sales dropped 11% year-on-year to 98.2 billion KRW. However, this year, by expanding B2C (business-to-consumer) channels, the company successfully rebounded with 30.4 billion KRW in the first quarter (a 4.5% increase compared to the same period last year).

A Koas representative said, "Through smart factory implementation, the entire process including quality, production, and delivery is maintained in an optimized state," adding, "Based on this, we will continue to strengthen Koas's unique competitiveness from furniture to space solutions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.