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DfMA Factory Reviews

Alda periodically undertakes study tours of factories in different countries to review its capability and capacity. Alda is experienced with designing and testing modular prototypes, reviewing various suppliers’ products, production facility inspections . Factories visited : Yahgee Modular [CN] CIMC Modular [CN] China State Construction [CN] TLC [VN] Horkew [SG] Tiong Seng [SG] Imax Modular [SG] Greyform PBU [SG] LC&T Builders [SG] Petra [MY] Posco [KR] Pruksa [TH] Siam Steel [TH] CnT [TH] Lifesbox [TH] Wild Modular [AU] CSR Hebel [AU] UB (Hickory) [AU] Sync (Hickory) [AU] Modscape [AU] Prebuilt [AU] Fleetwood [AU] Pindan Modular PBU [AU] MRN [AU] McNally [AU] Caledonian Modular [UK] Lightspeed [UK] Waco Modular [UK] Unite Modular [UK] Futureform [UK] Zeta [USA]

1. Posco [KR]


Posco is one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates and steel manufacturer. Its Architectural and Engineering division (Posco A&E) designs and manufactures modular steel framed buildings and operates the Cheon-an factory based 2 hours outside of Seoul. Its modular manufacturing business model is based on buying steel from Posco Steel and selling the finished product to its Engineering and Construction division (Posco E&C) which has a stake in mining projects in Australia, Russia and Canada.  Predominantly these products are single storey dormitory modules...

2. Zeta Design + Build [US]


Zeta manufactures modular buildings and supplies to Builders for the Northern California market. It focuses on timber framed 4-5 storey buildings. Zeta runs a lean operation and takes a very pragmatic unsophisticated approach to manufacturing. It relies on sourcing materials that are available locally like timber rather imported materials. They use traditional tradesmen who use standard tools are focused individually on their own trade and work station...

3. Lightspeed [UK]


Arguably one of the best manufacturing facility in the UK, the now-defunct factory in Gloucestershire was once owned by the Unite Group and produced thousands of modules for the student accommodation market in the UK. The factory was purpose designed for this market, which limited its ability to service other markets that demanded flexibility in the dimensions of its rooms or modules...

4. Caledonian Modular [UK]


One of the most established UK companies with a strong track record in all building types including bathroom pods. There are multiple factory locations if combined, has the capacity to produce close to 1000sqm of modules per day. Majority of their projects are low rise but they have a track record of completed higher rise buildings...

5. Waco [UK]


Waco manufactures, assembles and hires out modular buildings in the UK. Majority of these modules are temporary structures, which are on hire for a fixed period then removed and relocated for other uses. Hollow structural steel (HSS) posts are welded to HSS beams and walls are infilled with SIP panels

6. C&T Factory [TH]


C&T’s factory facility is located within 2 hours drive outside Bangkok in close proximity to the port Laem Chabang. C&T’s core business is manufacturing metal products. They specialise in mass production of simple stand alone buildings that do not require onsite assembly or complexing. They have successfully manufactured and shipped thousands of man camp modules to the North West of Western Australia for the oil and gas projects...

7. Futureform [UK]


Futureform is a manufacturer based in  Shoreham-by-sea , a port in West Sussex, England. Their track record includes Citizen M in Bankside and Victoria Hall, the tallest light gauge manufacture modular building in UK. The factory is modest in size and the company is focused on selling a technology licence to produce their system

8. Siam Steel [TH]


Siam Steel is primarily a manufacturer of steel products. Annually it buys over 1M tonnes of steel for all its products ranging from roof sheeting, office furniture to complete modular buildings. Its core capability is in engineering, procurement and manufacture of stand-alone buildings that do not require complexing or assembly on site

9. Greyform [SG]


This is an enclosed multi storey automated factory manufacturing prefabricated lightweight concrete Bathsystem toilet pods, a licenced Italian patented toilet pod. Greyform also manufactures precast panels up to 4mx12m

10. Pruksa [TH]


Pruksa Precast is a precast manufacturer supplying to its own vertically integrated parent company that develops 2-storey residential mass housing in Bangkok. It has 7 massive factories facilities each manufacturing precast components that supply the construction company building the mass housing

11. Fleetwood QLD [AU]


Fleetwood Creastmead is largest under covered facility spanning 10,000sqm. A desktop review was undertaken instead of a factory site visit. The production process and practice is similar to Wood Street, Bendigo. Fully welded steel framed floor chassis are outsourced and delivered flat pack

12. Campbellfield Facility [AU]


This factory appears to have the smallest footprint compared with the other 2 factories in Victoria. It is a compact operation facility. Similar to Wood Street, this factory uses LGS for non load bearing infill wall framing. The entire volumetric steel carcass with the roof framing is fully fabricated and welded in Kangaroo Flats and delivered to Campbellfield

13. Bendigo Facility [AU]


This facility assembles steel framed buildings where the chassis are fabricated off site in Kangaroo Flat. The chassis comes complete with the corner posts pre welded. The roof structural skeletal frame is fabricated in Kangaroo Flat and delivered flat packed.  The roof sheeting, insulation, MEP services and ceilings are then assembled and finished as a cassette on the factory floor. This eliminates working at heights and workmen standing on top of the carcass

14. Kangaroo Flat [AU]


This factory fabricates and supplies all the hot rolled steel carcasses and structural elements for the Wood Street and Campbellfield factories. The carcass floors are completed with the substrate (FC sheeting or structural ply).LGS walls are usually not installed in this factory. The factory relies on manual labour to measure.

15. Fleetwood Perth [AU]


This factory is larger in footprint than the Victorian factories. Predominantly products in WA are constructed with concrete floors, load bearing light gauge steel wall frames and roofs. WA is the only factory that uses panellised construction for walls. Majority of buildings are constructed and complexed outdoors and then relocated only when its ready for delivery to site for installation

16. Fleetwood Sydney [AU]


This factory fabricates all hot rolled steel carcasses and structural elements for the module carcass. Machines are used to cut lengths of steel but measurement lengths and positioning of holes are done manually. There is potential to adopt more mechanised equipment to improve speed and accuracy. Paint treatment of steel is carried out at one end of the factory in the open

17. China State Construction [CN]


This is a purpose built modular factory fabricates all hot rolled steel carcasses and structural elements for the module carcass. Fitout and finishes are all carried out in this factory. There are several production lines including a few for concrete PBUs. It is has large capacity and there are workers accommodation and offices co located with the factory to allow for 24/7 shift work. There were robots but they were not in operation at the time of the visit. Low use of automation and machines. Truss height of nearly 20m with10T and 20T overhead gantry cranes.

18. Petra Modular [MY]


This 10,000 sqm modular factory is located in Port Klang, Selangor. It is an assembly factory for steel modules where hot rolled steel carcasses and structural elements for the module carcass are outsourced. Concrete bases are cast in the factory floor. Fitout and finishes are completed in this factory. There is capacity for 5-6 production lines with two 25T and one 16T  overhead gantry cranes. The truss height is 16m but the gantry cranes are limited to 10m. Garage doors have been modified to allow for trucks to drive into the factory to load the modules.

19. Wild Modular [AU]


Small modular factory is located in Sydney NSW specilising in bespoke single storey hotel rooms and villas. Wild uses light gauge steel framing and FC sheet flooring.  Fitout and finishes are completed in this factory. There is capacity for 2 production lines with one 17.5T a overhead gantry crane. The truss height is 12m but the gantry cranes are limited to 9m. 3 Garage doors 5 m tall allow for trucks to drive into the factory to load the modules.