{"id":32660,"date":"2026-09-08T07:09:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T22:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.machicoco.co.jp\/archives\/32660"},"modified":"2026-10-04T20:37:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T11:37:46","slug":"product-dev-smtcxit7613-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.machicoco.co.jp\/en\/archives\/32660","title":{"rendered":"When wood is unavailable, consider alternative materials that maintain weight and a sense of luxury."},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- lm-skin -->\n<style id=\"mc-article\">\n\/* \u8aad\u307f\u3084\u3059\u3055\u3060\u3051\u6574\u3048\u308b\u3002\u8272\u306f\u8db3\u3055\u306a\u3044\uff08\u7dda\u306f\u898b\u51fa\u3057\u3068\u540c\u3058\u8272\uff1dcurrentColor\uff09 *\/\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content{max-width:800px;margin-inline:auto}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content p{font-size:17px;line-height:1.95;margin:0 0 1.15em}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content li{font-size:17px;line-height:1.95;margin-bottom:.35em}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content h2{font-weight:800;line-height:1.55;margin:56px 0 18px;padding-left:15px;\n  border-left:7px solid currentColor}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content h3{font-weight:700;line-height:1.6;margin:34px 0 10px}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content figure{margin:30px 0}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content figure img{width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:14px;box-shadow:0 12px 28px rgba(0,0,0,.12)}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content figcaption{font-size:.82rem;opacity:.7;margin-top:10px;text-align:center}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content img{max-width:100%;height:auto}\n\n\n\n@media(max-width:600px){.elementor-widget-theme-post-content p,.elementor-widget-theme-post-content li{font-size:16px}.elementor-widget-theme-post-content h2{margin-top:44px}}\n<\/style>\n<!-- \/lm-skin -->\n\n\n\n<h2>&quot;We need weight, but we can&#039;t get our hands on any wood.&quot;<\/h2>\n\n<p>In a consultation regarding product development, the supplier of wood that we had been using for many years became unavailable.<br>\nThere were reports that production had stopped.<br>\nI want to replace it with an alternative material while maintaining its weight and luxurious feel,<br>\nShe said she was worried it would look like she was just trying to make it look bigger, so she had stopped working on it.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2>Hiding the weights inside increases the number of seams, making it difficult to achieve a consistent texture.<\/h2>\n\n<p>If you try to compensate for the weight by using wood instead,<br>\nThis often results in a structure that incorporates weights such as metal inside.<br>\nTo conceal the weights, it becomes necessary to divide the components and then reassemble them.<br>\nThe more joints there are, the more likely unevenness and gaps will appear on the surface.<\/p>\n<p>The texture can be interrupted at the boundary between the wood and metal parts, often resulting in an impression that is the opposite of the desired sense of luxury.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2>Wood has a low density, making it easy to rely on volume to increase weight.<\/h2>\n\n<p>Wood is a material with a lower density compared to metal.<br>\nTo achieve the same weight while maintaining the same size, using only wood would require increasing its volume.<br>\nIf the design prevents it from being made extremely large, the idea is to insert a weight made of a different material inside.<br>\nUp to this point, everything is progressing naturally.<\/p>\n<p>If you treat the weights as something to &quot;hide,&quot; you&#039;ll need to tuck them into a position where they won&#039;t affect the appearance.<br>\nThis reduces the degree of freedom in positioning, making the assembly structure more complex.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2>Compare the textures of woodworking and metalworking side by side.<\/h2>\n\n<p>This time, I considered the matter from the perspective of someone who can interact with technicians in both metalworking and woodworking.<br>\nWhen considering woodworking alone, weights tend to be something you don&#039;t want to show.<br>\nFrom a metalworking perspective, brass and stainless steel can not only add weight,<br>\nThe colors and textures themselves exude a sense of luxury.<\/p>\n<p>Should the weight be hidden behind the structure, or should it be exposed as part of the design?<br>\nThis was an area where I was able to consider the textures of both woodworking and metalworking side by side.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2>Place brass and stainless steel in positions where they are visible as design elements.<\/h2>\n\n<p>The idea was to abandon the structure that hides the weight material inside,<br>\nThis proposal involves using brass or stainless steel for visible parts such as handles and legs.<br>\nThis approach involves using metal parts to bear weight while simultaneously showcasing them as part of the design.<\/p>\n<p>The joints with the wood should be seen not as a &quot;flaw to be hidden,&quot; but as a &quot;transition between different materials.&quot;<br>\nWe incorporate it into the design beforehand.<br>\nThe number of joints itself doesn&#039;t change significantly.<\/p>\n<p>Designing with the intention of showing the finished product makes it easier to decide on the location and finishing method of the seams beforehand.<br>\nThis makes it easier to maintain a consistent texture.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2>Differences in material density should be a design element, not a constraint to hide.<\/h2>\n\n<p>Not limited to wood, but also resin and metal, resin and stone, etc.<br>\nCombining materials with different specific gravities is a common practice in other product development projects as well.<br>\nShould we use a different material as a substitute to make it closer to the original material we want to use, or<br>\nShould we make it clear that they are made of different materials?<\/p>\n<p>This approach is a common perspective that can be used in situations where you want to balance weight adjustment with design aesthetics.<br>\nWhen considering how to present the product, the differences in processing precision and finish for each material are also important.<br>\nThis makes it easier to incorporate it into the design as a prerequisite.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2>We will work with you to consider everything from the design direction to the selection of the manufacturing facility.<\/h2>\n\n<p>MACHICOCO has partnered with engineers in Higashi-Osaka.<br>\nI am involved in project management for product development.<br>\nWe don&#039;t own any large-scale facilities in-house.<\/p>\n<p>In projects like this, we work closely with woodworking and metalworking technicians,<br>\nWe will consider together how to convey weight and how to showcase texture.<br>\nWe handle everything from determining the design direction to prototyping and selecting processing partners for mass production.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2>You can start a consultation even with just a hand-drawn picture or a photograph.<\/h2>\n\n<p>Having the following information will help the consultation proceed more quickly.<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Current product photos or hand-drawn images<\/li>\n<li>Approximate weight and size, desired weight<\/li>\n<li>Information that shows the type of wood used and the procurement status.<\/li>\n<li>Desired quantity and image of future production scale<\/li>\n<li>If you have a physical sample, that would be great too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Drawings are not required.<br>\nEven at the idea stage, we can work together to consider everything from design and prototyping to manufacturing methods.<br>\nYou can consult with us even with handwritten drawings or photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n<!-- \u56f3\u89e3\u6848:\u6728\u6750\u306e\u307f\u3067\u91cd\u91cf\u3092\u51fa\u3059\u69cb\u9020(\u5185\u90e8\u306b\u91cd\u308a\u3092\u96a0\u3057\u3001\u7d99\u304e\u76ee\u304c\u8907\u6570\u3067\u304d\u308b\u65ad\u9762\u56f3)\u3068\u3001\u771f\u936e\u30fb\u30b9\u30c6\u30f3\u30ec\u30b9\u3092\u5916\u5074\u30d1\u30fc\u30c4\u3068\u3057\u3066\u610f\u5320\u306b\u7d44\u307f\u8fbc\u3093\u3060\u69cb\u9020(\u7d99\u304e\u76ee\u306e\u4f4d\u7f6e\u304c\u3042\u3089\u304b\u3058\u3081\u30c7\u30b6\u30a4\u30f3\u3055\u308c\u3066\u3044\u308b\u65ad\u9762\u56f3)\u3092\u4e26\u3079\u305f\u6bd4\u8f03\u56f3 -->\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.machicoco.co.jp\/en\/product-development\/\">Even at the idea stage,<br>\nWe can work with you from the design, prototyping, and manufacturing methods.<br>\nYou can consult with us even with handwritten drawings or photographs.<br>\n<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u300c\u91cd\u3055\u306f\u6b32\u3057\u3044\u3051\u308c\u3069\u3001\u6728\u6750\u304c\u624b\u306b\u5165\u3089\u306a\u3044\u300d\u3068\u3044\u3046\u76f8\u8ac7 \u3042\u308b\u5546\u54c1\u958b\u767a\u306e\u76f8\u8ac7\u3067\u3001\u9577\u5e74\u4f7f\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u6728\u6750\u306e\u4ed5\u5165\u308c\u5148\u304c\u624b\u914d 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