The conversation surrounding technology in prefab construction often focuses on its productivity advantages. While speed-to-market and greater yield are certainly welcome benefits in a market facing skilled labor challenges and cost overruns, they are not the only benefits of digitally advanced prefabrication. In our third Technology in Construction installment, we’ll cover how it can simplify the construction process. From eliminating rework to improving energy efficiency, digitally native design can streamline operations from planning through final installation.
It’s no secret that one of the biggest hindrances to a lean construction operation and improved productivity is rework. It alone can add hours of logistical coordination and skilled labor for onsite adjustments. Interestingly, this all-too common breakdown starts at the design and fabrication level. Traditional human interpretation of details, measuring and cutting leads to more than 95% of the rework in construction.
Digital Building helps remove these complexities and design induced errors through its multi-trade digital fabrication. With automated machines building each product directly from the model, components are digitally precise. There’s no resorting to a template or grid and cutting retail-sized materials. This helps eliminate the potential for human error from the project’s onset.
Not only do our computer-controlled machines handle all measuring and cutting task, they also automatically adjust along the way to correct and eliminate potential mistakes, helping ensure the components perform and fit as expected onsite. With the use of technology, our manufacturing process results in increasingly distinctive designs and consistency across all components. Better yet, it enables an efficient workflow through concurrent construction.
The traditional construction process tends toward frequent delays and long hours onsite, which means running more fossil-fuel powered equipment and generating more pollution. By comparison, Digital Building’s automated approach allows for quicker production. For example, our CNC roll former machine can produce multiple profiles of studs and tracks and operate about ten times faster than the current industry standard. With less time spent running heavy machinery, the prefabricated building process provides a simple way to increase efficiency while reducing energy related C02 emissions.
Going a step further, not only is our automated process and machinery more efficient than traditional construction—but as stated earlier, it’s also more accurate. With the ability to sense any errors in the design-to-production phase, our computer-controlled machines adjust automatically to correct and prevent mistakes. This further reduces the margin for error and mitigates the problem of material waste.
From start to finish, digital prefabrication works to streamline the design, production and installation process. It increases project accuracy and reduces material waste, saving precious time, resources and money. Construction companies in search of a means to curtail onsite complications should look no further than Digital Building Components. Want to find out more? Let’s chat at: DigitalBuilding.com/contact
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As greater technological advancements are introduced to the world of construction, prefabricated building is quickly becoming a favorable solution within the industry. This comes as no surprise to us here at Digital Building Components, as our technology allows us to efficiently produce components in direct accordance with a building’s architecture—improving any project’s quality and productivity.
Traditionally, the construction industry is associated with being a dangerous working environment. This is in part due to heavy machinery, high traffic, lofty heights and sometimes irregular work conditions that make accidents incredibly hard to avoid on site. In fact, injury rates within this industry are on average 71% higher than in other industries. With alarming statistics like this in mind, Digital Building’s prefabricated manufacturing process is consistently working to change the narrative of hazardous building, just as they have since the company’s inception. In fact, with an emphasis on workplace safety, Digital Building has managed to go approximately 905 days without a recordable safety incident.
According to the U.S Chamber of Commerce’s most recent Commercial Construction Index, 88% of contractors report moderate to high levels of difficulty finding skilled workers. Of those, 56% report a challenge in meeting project schedule requirements and nearly a third (35%) are turning down work all together.
