<![CDATA[Student chairs are commonly designed based on ergonomic dimensions without considering the structural implications of seat configuration. This study investigates the effect of seat inclination on the structural response of a mahogany student chair using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Two anthropometrically derived chair models—a flat seat and a 4° inclined seat—were developed based on student anthropometric data from the Polytechnic of Furniture and Wood Processing Industry Kendal. Static simulations were performed in Autodesk Inventor 2022 under a 2000 N vertical seat load and an additional backrest load equivalent to 40% of the seat load. Structural performance was evaluated using Von Mises stress, total deformation, and Factor of Safety (FoS). The flat-seat model produced a maximum stress of 16.94 MPa, a deformation of 1.118 mm, and a FoS of 2.755, whereas the 4° inclined-seat model yielded 23.25 MPa, 1.501 mm, and 2.007, respectively. Although the inclined seat increased stress concentration and deformation, both configurations remained structurally safe, indicating that a 4° seat inclination represents an acceptable trade-off between ergonomic improvement and structural reliability.]]>
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