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Challenge
Challenge
Emma is a fast-paced company with a steep learning curve. I grasped quickly how to design mattresses, test materials and validate components. I was part of the Product Excellence Team - responsible for test-winning mattresses.
Mattress Design Workflow
Mattress Design Workflow
How award-winning mattresses are born
How award-winning mattresses are born
At the core of my job was the design and testing of new mattress models. The following steps show our workflow for a new mattress type.
Sampling| Before we could even start designing, we needed to order material samples like foams, pocket springs or covers. In our lab, we tested all components for hardness, breathability, bounce and other parameters.
Design| We combined all "ingredients" in the mattress design. Here we answered questions like How many hardness zones does it have? … Which comfort layers should be on top? … Which kind of cover will the mattress have?
We condensed all information - about each layer and the mattress cover - into a spec sheet for our suppliers.
Testing| Now we would see how good the finished prototype performed. We tested the whole mattress for hardness, zoning and durability.
How would it recover from roll-packing? … What would be the laying feeling? …
Zero Batch| After we finished and validated the prototype, the Product Scaling Team would take over. They ordered the first batch to make sure that nothing had changed from prototyping to mass production. After another round of intense testing, the mattress was ready to be mass produced.
Lab Development
Lab Development
Expanding our lab-testing capabilities
Expanding our lab-testing capabilities
A significant part of my job at Emma was the prototyping and construction of tools for the testing lab as well as advising on physical computing and 3D-printing.
Large Format Mattress Scale| Measuring the weight of mattresses was a constant hassle, due to the small size of our scale. Commercial large format scales were too expensive.
I constructed a scale which I "tailored" to the needs of the lab assistants. I combined the electronics of a regular lab scale (0 - 150Kg) with a custom aluminium frame. This scale is now a regular instrument of the mattress testing workflow.
Adjustable Foam Indenter| In the thermal-conductivity test, foam samples have to be compressed on top of the sensor. A normal weight can not be balanced since foam is too soft.
I came up with an indenter with a low centre of mass that can balance freely. This indenter is now used in the regular testing procedure to always ensure a constant compression.
Learnings
Learnings
Interdisciplinary team meetings helped me to see different sides of our products - like warranty issues in the legal team or the bold claims of marketing - which all were connected to my work as a product engineer.
I experienced that a good data management system is crucial in a big company like Emma. Incomprehensible data structures can waste a lot of time and resources.
Emma sells its products world-wide. I learned that there are vast differences, when it comes to cultural preferences in mattresses - especially when it comes to hardness.
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