Our research is primarily focused on furniture and interior design
- We study living environments, problems associated with volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, product safety, acoustics and furniture finishes, as well as evaluating furniture designs and technical product requirements
- Our laboratories are equipped with a wide range of modern instruments and equipment, some of which were developed within our department
- Our aim is to develop new materials, technologies and designs, from the initial idea to patented products in practical use.
- Our specialised laboratories, situated on the university campus, provide facilities for scientific work at an international level.
- We see project collaborations with foreign institutions, research internships abroad and the inclusion of foreign colleagues into our team as an essential part of quality research.
- We undertake analysis and testing as part of our research and teaching activities, while also providing assessment services for professional entities.
The following laboratories are currently managed by the Department:
The laboratory is engaged in testing surface treatments of furniture and other interior elements. We test various types of coatings and laminates to ensure their durability, resistance to scratching, moisture, high temperatures, UV light and more.
Offer of expertise:
Testing and consulting on furniture and interior treatments; Measurement of coating film thickness, coating film surface adhesion, determination of physical-mechanical and chemical resistance of furniture surface treatments.
doc. Ing. Daniela Tesařová, Ph.D.
Department of design and furniture
tel.: +420 545 134 170
e-mail: daniela.tesarova@mendelu.cz
The laboratory deals with the evaluation of wood-based materials and alternative materials. It tests mechanical properties (tension, pressure, bending, modulus of elasticity…) and physical (conical calorimeter) and chemical properties (FTIR spectrometer, gas chromatograph).
Offer of expertise:
Evaluation of mechanical properties of wood-based, composite and other materials; Measurement of flammability and thermal properties of materials; Identification of chemical substances and characterization of materials by infrared spectroscopy.
Ing. Petr Čech, Ph.D.
Department of design and furniture
tel.: +420 545 134 516, +420 545 134 534
e-mail: petr.cech@mendelu.cz
The indoor environmental quality laboratory is equipped for determination of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and olfactometric assessment (odours) of materials used in residential or public interiors. Other possible research areas include the assessment of the quality of interior living and working environments.
Offer of expertise:
Expert activities:
Assessments on the quality of interior living and working environments, Determination of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and olfactometric assessment (odour).
Ing. Petr Čech, Ph.D.
Department of design and furniture
tel.: +420 545 134 516, +420 545 134 534
e-mail: petr.cech@mendelu.cz
The furniture testing room provides a space equipped with specialised equipment designed for testing and evaluating the quality and durability of furniture products, including technologies and instruments for performing tests in accordance with international standards.
Offer of expertise:
Accredited testing of all furniture types (seating, reclining, furniture for domestic, commercial or other use), including additional tests and stress simulations related to the area of application.
Ing. Miroslav Zapletal, Ph.D.
Head of the Furniture Testing Laboratory in Brno
mobil: +420 606 056 342
e-mail: mira.zapletal@zstv.cz
The 3D Printing Centre is used to create functional models for semester and final-year projects. Prototypes can be printed that allow the functionality, stability and proportions of the product to be verified.
Offer of expertise:
The 3D Printing Centre offers custom printing of prototypes and products for various fields of industry and design. Products can be printed in a range of materials, including PLA, PET-G, ASA, ABS and others. We also offer consultancy and assistance in 3D printing.
Ing. Vojtěch Ondrejka, PhD.
Department of design and furniture
tel.: +420 545 134 516
e-mail: vojtech.ondrejka@mendelu.cz
The laboratories boast a range of specialised equipment:
- FTIR spectrometer – Infrared spectroscopy is a suitable method for a wide range of applications, e.g. for chemical identification and characterisation (manufacturer Bruker Optics).
- Conical calorimeter – for measuring and evaluating heat evolution – meets the requirements of ISO 5660-1 (manufacturer: CLASIC CZ, spol. s r.o.)
- Shock temperature chamber with cooling – designed to simulate changes in climatic conditions on test samples (manufacturer: Binder)
- INSTRON Universal Testing Machines – allows for tensile, compression, bending, peeling, tearing and friction testing of materials
- Gas chromatograph + Sniffer 9000 – gas chromatograph with flame ionisation detector connected to an ‘electronic nose’ – used to identify odours (manufacturer: Agilent + Brechbuhler)
- Emission cell and accessories – used to collect volatile organic compounds from flat materials (manufacturer: Chematec)
- Gloss meter – for measuring the degree of surface gloss at 20°, 60° and 80° (manufacturer: Erichsen)
- Taber Abraser – for testing PU and abrasion resistance (manufacturer: Taber industries)
- Abraser – for testing the resistance of surfaces to abrasion (manufacturer: Erichsen)
- Hardness tester – a hand-held, portable device for testing the hardness of finished surfaces
- Coating film thickness gauge (manufacturer: Positector)
- UV curing tunnel – for curing paints that require curing under ultraviolet light (manufacturer: Aeroterm, a.s.)
- Roll-on coating machine – designed for applying coating systems to base materials (manufacturer: SORBINI)
In addition to its teaching activities, the Department undertakes professional activities in the following areas:
- Safety, quality and legislation
- Upholstered furniture and its components
- Design of furniture and wood products
- Design of wooden furniture
- Furniture machinery and production equipment
- Surface treatment consultancy
- Gluing technology consultancy
- CAD/CAM consultancy
- Interior and housing design
- Manufacturing, quality management and standards
- Production ecology and occupational hygiene
- VOC emissions research and testing
Our work has resulted in prestigious projects, publications and other outputs:
- OP TAK Aplikace – Výzkum a vývoj aplikace epoxidových pryskyřic v nábytkářské výrobě s cílem zvýšení efektivity výrobních procesů a užitných vlastností nábytku a interiérových doplňků
- TA ČR Trend – 3D Tváření plošných dřevěných prvků při působení interakce dřeva a plastu.
- TA ČR Prostředí pro život – Posklizňové zbytky z pěstování konopí jako surovina pro udržitelný dřevozpracující průmysl v ČR
- OP PIK Aplikace – Vývoj unikátního dveřního systému
- OP PIK Aplikace – Ergonomický nábytek pro 21. století, vytvořený na základě ergonomické optimalizace vztahů a interakce mezi člověkem, nábytkem a technikou
- OP – Návrh nábytkové produktové řady bytových šaten
- Erasmus K2 – FLAME: Language Education For The Furniture Industry
- OP – Vytvoření mezinárodního vědecko-výzkumného týmu pro vývoj nových materiálů na bázi dřeva
- OP – Inovace technických a dřevařských disciplín pro vyšší konkurenceschopnost
- MPO IMPULSE – Nemocniční a pečovatelská dětská lůžka
- MPO – NIS – informační systém pro podporu výzkumu, vývoje, inovací a jakosti nábytku
Go to the University Information System.
Collaborations:
Our institutional and business partners can listed in the ‘About us’ section.
Doctoral studies
An integral part of the Department’s activities is to further develop and expand the knowledge base of Doctoral students in the broad field of science and research.