One click does the trick

Threespine furniture assembly technology eliminates need for tools, screws, fasteners

Imagine having the ability to assemble furniture in seconds without using tools, screws or fasteners.

Imagine no more. Threespine click-furniture technology from Välinge is making it happen.

“Just click the parts together for perfectly aligned and stable furniture,” says Välinge in announcing the new technology.

Threespine is based on Välinge’s 5G Fold Down technology, which has been used worldwide in the production of more than 1.4 billion square meters of flooring.

According to Välinge:

Threespine’s key feature is a flexible plastic locking tongue that automatically locks boards or panels when they are pushed together. When a panel is pushed into position, the tongue is forced into the tongue groove. As the panel reaches its final position, the tongue snaps out into a wedge groove and locks the panels.

“The tongue strength in combination with the long connection surface achieves an extremely stable locking that in turn makes the furniture very robust,” said Hans Brännström, director furniture technology, Välinge.

The locking tongues are inserted in panels during production, making it easier for anyone to assembly furniture. The technology also enables furniture to be dismantled by using a strip that pushes the tongue back into the groove, unlocking the panels.

With Threespine, gluing or other assembly methods are no longer needed to cover holes for fasteners, screws and plugs. The new technology allows a clean design for furniture that can be assembled and dismantled many times.

While traditional construction results in point loads, Threespine spreads the load along the connection surface. As a result, the strength of the joint is less dependent on the material dimensions and properties, and that opens new design opportunities, especially using thin panels.

Because the locking function resides in the tongue, Threespine is suitable for all materials that can be machined to a profile, such as particleboard, HDF, MDF, CDF, HPL, plywood, plastic and more. Also, the technology allows these materials to be combined in ways that weren’t possible before.

Threespine can quickly move into production because of the technology’s compatibility with existing machinery, such as CNC machines, double-sided edge-banding machines and profiling machines.

“Threespine … provides an attractive alternative for RTA manufacturers looking to offer superior products,” Brännström said. “It also enables manufacturers of factory-assembled furniture to switch to RTA to reduce logistics costs and lower their environmental impact without any negative impact on the design and quality of their products.”

To see an instructive video about Threespine assembly, go to: www.valinge.se/products/furniture-technology.