Wood In Architecture Issue 1, 2022

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY
Clicking into place
with Threespine
By Yap Shi Quan
Threespine is a tool-and-hardwarefree
click technology used in furniture
assembly, taking away the need for
nails, dowels and glue to assemble
the panels. Instead, it uses a tongueand-groove
principle with a flexible
glass-fibre re-enforced plastic insert
as the key feature that locks the panels
together.
Adapted from the floor locking
technology developed by Välinge
Innovation, Threespine combines
Välinge’s R&D experience in wooden
flooring and furniture with HOMAG’s
expertise in industrial furniture
manufacturing. Jonas Banestig, senior
key account manager of furniture
technology, Asia, Välinge Innovation
Sweden, explained to Wood in
Architecture how it works: “Each
profiled joint contains some of the
plastic inserts along its length. When
a furniture panel is positioned and
pushed down, the insert retracts into
a groove, and as the panel reaches its
final position, the insert snaps out into
a wedge groove with a ‘click’ — that is
the sound which signals that the panels
are locked.”
Without nails or dowels, the concern
of stability naturally rises. But
Banestig assured that the strength of
the panel comes from the profile using
“the entire depth of the product”
instead of conventional fittings
with point-wise connection: “In
combination with a back panel that
can be clicked instead of nailed, this
therefore creates a stable furniture
even during assembly.”
PRODUCTION
Välinge offers a range of profiles that
complements different kinds of panel
joints, with corner and mitre joints
being the most commonly used in
every furniture — whether it is basic
kitchen cabinets or high-end design
furniture. They also complement panels
38 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 1 – 2022