A public seating project rarely matches a catalogue exactly. An airport terminal needs a different seat count per bay than a clinic waiting area, a bank lobby wants a finish that survives daily cleaning, and a distributor may want the whole thing under its own brand. How much of that gets built depends on which supply model you choose - and in public seating the three models differ most in who owns the mould. This guide explains how OEM, ODM and custom manufacture work for waiting chairs, airport seating and hospital seating, and how to pick between them before you send an enquiry.
1. The Three Models in Public Seating
In row seating the models are distinguished by who owns the design of the seat itself, not just by price.
- OEM: you supply the drawing, specification or sample, and the seating is manufactured and shipped under your brand.
- ODM: you select from an existing, already-tooled series and we adapt seat count, armrest style, leg material, colour and packaging to your project.
- Custom manufacture: a new seat shell, a new beam configuration or a new application is developed from a brief - including new mould development.
2. OEM: You Supply the Drawing, We Manufacture
OEM suits projects that already have a design authority: an architect, a fit-out contractor, or a distributor with an established product line. The seat shell, beam length, leg design, armrest layout and finish are defined before the enquiry goes out, and the factory manufactures to that definition.
Because our production line covers product design, mould development, production and packaging in-house, an OEM order can be built to a drawing set rather than assembled from whatever happens to be in stock. The advantage is a precise match to the specification and to your own product line. The trade-off is that changes after approval have to be re-approved, so the specification needs to be genuinely frozen before production is scheduled.
3. ODM: Adapt an Existing Series
ODM starts from seating that already exists and is already tooled. Our range is organised into PU-A, PU-B, PU-C, PU-D and PU-AL series, together with AFPU models and a PH range, covering the usual requirements of airports, high-speed rail and railway stations, bus stations, hospitals, bank halls and commercial interiors.
Customisation under ODM is real but bounded, and that is its strength. Seat count from a single seat up to five-seat rows, armrest and divider style, leg material in steel, stainless steel or aluminum alloy, PU colour and packaging can all be adapted - while the mould, the foam density and the load behaviour of the seat stay proven - the material side of that choice is compared in public row chairs explained. Because the tooling exists, sampling and production start sooner than with a new shell, and there is no mould investment in the unit price.
4. Custom Manufacture: New Mould, New Seat
Custom manufacture applies when nothing in the standard range fits: a contoured shell for a specific posture or patient group, an unusual row length, a bespoke beam and leg arrangement, or an integrated feature such as a dedicated infusion pole holder or a power module. This model works from whatever the project has available - a full drawing set, a sketch with critical dimensions, or a physical sample.
The critical difference is tooling. A new PU seat shape means a new mould, and the mould is the long-lead item in the project: it has to be developed and proven before the first saleable seat can be foamed. That is why custom manufacture normally produces a sample for approval before a production run, and why it makes sense to confirm quantities at the same time as the design so the mould cost is carried across the right number of seats.
5. What Each Model Changes Later in the Project
- Who owns the drawing: with OEM the drawing is yours; with ODM the base seat design is ours and your changes sit on top of it; with custom, the new design is built to your brief and the tooling belongs to the project.
- Tooling: ODM carries no mould investment; OEM and custom may require new mould or fixture development, which belongs in the first order rather than in the unit price alone.
- Sampling: a sample should be approved before any production run, and custom shells take longer to sample than adaptations of an existing series.
- Stock and lead time: some regular models are kept in stock, so repeat orders of standard configurations are the fastest route; a custom shell always follows the mould and production schedule.
- Branding and packing: neutral or custom logo packaging is available across all three models, so branding should not be the reason for choosing one over another.
- Documentation: PDF manuals and operation videos are available for each product, which matters more on custom items where the assembly method is not familiar to the installer.
6. Choosing Between the Three Models
- You have a complete drawing set and a frozen specification: place the order as OEM.
- You need a proven row chair quickly, with project-specific adjustments: choose from an existing series and customise seat count, materials, colour and packing.
- Nothing standard fits, or the seating is part of a branded product line: brief it as custom manufacture and expect mould development plus a sample.
- You are still at concept stage: send the application, the environment, the seat count and the expected load, and the review will tell you which model is realistic.
Systems and configurations available as standard are listed under PU series seating, and the usual commercial questions are answered on our FAQ page.
Shengke Rui Furniture has manufactured public seating since 1984, with a complete in-house line covering product design, mould development, production and packaging - including self-skinning PU seats moulded in one-time foaming and mounted on steel, stainless steel and aluminum alloy beams. We support full OEM/ODM customisation and supply airport, healthcare and institutional projects worldwide. Contact us with your drawings, materials and quantities for a specification and quotation.