Two Hundred Tons leverages hydraulic pressing and laser cutting to produce stainless steel furniture destined to become future classics.
Prague-based furniture design studio Two Hundred Tons focuses on creating clean, original, and high-quality products. Their latest collection features disassembled steel tubes. "Steel has fascinated us since our university days," explains Adam Štok, who co-founded Two Hundred Tons with Monika Kozderková in 2020. "During our studies in product and interior design, we became very familiar with various wood processing techniques, but steel captured our attention with its nearly limitless application potential. We often say steel is like 'hard modeling clay'-with the right heat or pressure, it can be shaped into sculptural forms. We love experimenting with metal, especially in furniture design, where we continuously push beyond the limitations of traditional steel processing."
Štok also appreciates steel's durability-in fact, it outperforms some commonly used furniture materials. "One of the biggest advantages of stainless steel furniture is its longevity," he says. "While wood is a more common choice, we believe the sustainability of metal products is gaining increasing recognition. As a new generation becomes more aware of long-term durability and environmental responsibility, we see tremendous potential for steel in the future of furniture design."
## High-Tech Processing of Stainless Steel Tubes
Two Hundred Tons employs hydraulic and laser equipment to craft this new series of flattened steel tube products. "Most of our products use hydraulic presses to flatten steel tubes under high pressure-this very process inspired our brand name," Štok says. "For each flattening operation, we use custom-designed jaws to precisely align and guide the steel tube into its final shape. When operating the hydraulic press, we place the tube into the jaws and use the hydraulic mechanism to lower the top head, compressing the material. Once the jaws release, the flattened component is ready. In our latest collection, we incorporated rotary laser cutting, which enables us to cut the entire circumference of a steel tube in a single pass."
At this stage, traditional craftsmanship takes over, with all components manually assembled and fixed. "We weld the parts together, grind the welds and edges, and remove surface imperfections or rust. Finally, we thoroughly clean the structure to ensure it's properly prepared for the final surface finishing process, guaranteeing long-term durability," Štok explains.
Thorough Cleaning Ensures Longevity and Resistance to Degradation
Every piece of steel used in the furniture is carefully brushed to remove rust, then thoroughly degreased. A powder coating is then applied, which adheres perfectly to the stainless steel substrate (typically 304 or 316L grade for enhanced corrosion resistance), before being cured in a high-temperature oven.
Minimizing Waste Through Smart Design
To reduce management costs and material waste, Two Hundred Tons ensures maximum utilization of every steel tube. "One of our key methods for improving steel tube utilization is designing products that use only four different steel profile specifications," Štok reveals. "Some products use longer tubes, others shorter ones, allowing us to fully utilize a standard 6-meter steel tube. With the new Unroll collection, laser cutting technology further enhances this efficiency. This technique enables us to arrange individual product cuts along the tube length, positioning them closely together to minimize leftover scrap at both ends."
The Unroll collection currently includes side tables, shelves, and wall-mounted units, with more designs in development-and stainless steel remains a core material component.
> Material Insight: For furniture applications requiring both formability and corrosion resistance, 304 stainless steel offers an excellent balance of cost, workability, and durability. For coastal or high-humidity environments, 316L stainless steel provides superior pitting resistance. Both grades are widely available in tube, sheet, and coil forms, and support custom cutting, bending, and surface finishing.
Need stainless/carbon/alloy steel for furniture, architectural, or industrial fabrication?
> Jiangsu Cunrui supplies stainless steel (304/316L/310S/2205/904L), carbon steel (Q235/Q345/45#), and alloy steel (50CrVA/30Mn2) in tubes, sheets, coils, and bars-with mill certification, custom cutting, laser/plasma processing, and surface finishing services.