digifabshop
In The Works
DISPATCH JUNE/JULY
A Letter From John As we enter the summer months this year, with the largest workload we've ever had, and the largest workforce too, the organizational structure we began to set in place about two years ago now is taking shape nicely, and we're really excited to see what it will allow for and how it will continue to evolve ahead. It was in the second half of 2013 that we began to develop our team leader positions. Growing to nearly thirty employees by then, we were really just operating as one large amoebic group, so the team leaders were to be the shop floor counterparts to our project managers' work in the office, with the hopes of streamlining communication and workflows. While Our PM's worked with clients, produced drawings and details, created fabrication documents and coordinated deliverables, our team leaders would guide the production process and be responsible for organization, consistency, techniques and just plain making sure the work got done. We started with just two teams that year, but we quickly added a third, and with our added capacity, and the added complexity of managing multiple simultaneous projects, timelines, machine needs, and available talents, we needed someone dedicated to planning across teams and across projects. And we needed to maintain shop wide standards, efficiencies, and quality control too. Enter our Production Manager position, a bit more than half way through 2014, and the welcomed beginning of more measured methods.
006 2015
EOTM
We recently went digital with our material safety data sheet (MSDS) documentation. MSDS online guarantees our information is up to date and offers ease of access anywhere on both workstations and mobile devices. Working with a product that isn't available in our account? MSDS online is bi-directional and allows any user to request the addition of a product.
Birthdays
On a project fabrication level, at this point, we were on the right track, but, as we grew, all of the ancillary tasks associated with the execution of our projects, and the overall operation of the business, were becoming more and more demanding. In order to continue, it was going to be crucial for people to be able to focus in particular non-fabrication related areas, so we set out to assemble a group that could work on safety, human resources, finances, scheduling, logistics, technology, maintenance, and building out our pipeline. By early 2015, our Human Resources Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager were well into getting to know the business, and they were all making us better in their own ways already. So now, with a great organizational framework in place, we've got what we need to help us to continue to grow, to become more sustainable, capable, intelligent and efficient while still being agile, and to ultimately allow us to keep exploring the world of architectural fabrication and design. And we can't wait!
CHRIS HOWE PAUL D'ERRICO ED SANDERSON HEATHER PARISI JULIAN SMITH
JUNE 4TH JUNE 11TH JUNE 23RD JUNE 25TH JULY 27TH
One Year Anniversaries DINA MACARI BEN RAUCH SEAN MORRISSEY
JUNE 23RD JULY 14TH JULY 15TH
Three + Year Anniversaries July marks the three year anniversary of the company's incorporation back on July 30, 2012. The following individuals have been with us from this point, though they may have began with the company in any of its prior forms.
Dina Macari started with Digifabshop about a year ago now, and, since day one, she's worked hard to learn about what we do, to continually improve herself, and to ultimately support the business and help it grow.
02 - WEST COAST CAVAS
Dina now spends her days here juggling many varied projects. From being a sourcing guru for new materials and samples, to electronically organizing vendor paperwork, to running local errands, to shopping for the best prices on the supplies we buy, Dina brings an energy to each project she works on that is admirable and hugely valuable. Beyond just this, though, Dina is the first point of contact for every one of Digifabshop's clients, vendors, and colleagues when they call or visit, and in this role she is one of our best advocates. She's professional, friendly, helpful, and thorough, she get's whatever answers are needed, she relays messages that need to be addressed, she always has a smile, she cares, and she really just makes us look good. Thanks for everything Dina. Keep up the path you're on!
JOHN TOMPKINS GREGORY STUCKART KEVIN LEADER JAMON SCHLIMGEN
DUSTIN MACKINNON NEIL ALLEN AIGARS KILDISS NATHAN LARAUNGE
Cava Mezze Grill has grown popular in the Virginia / Washington DC area and is ready to test the waters on the West Coast. We are in discussion with the clients regarding design tweaks and material selections for two new Cava locations in California set to open at the end of the summer. 03 - JASON JACQUES GALLERY
Now Serving: Ping Pong The summer's here and there are many more seats open at our outdoor picnic tables - you can thank our new Ping Pong table for that! Some steep competition is forming in the breakroom before work, during breaks and at lunch and if you don't start playing soon, your skills may fall behind quickly. Recently, Chris Howe was the first to break 100 wins and there are many fierce competitors right on his tail.
EOTM
Relay For Life 2015 On Friday, June 19 our Digifabshop team, consisting of Terri, her husband Bob, Charlie, Darryl, Jasmine and Chris participated in this year's Relay for Life event at Taconic Hills High School. This event, put on by the American Cancer Society is the world's largest event to raise money for cancer research. It unites communities from across the globe to celebrate people who battled cancer and remember loved ones lost. Our team raised a total of $475 to this point, including a significant company contribution. Donations can still be submitted up to August 1st so please continue to spread the word and encourage friends and family to donate to this worthy cause. We are only $25 away from our goal of $500! Special thanks to all of those who participated in this event!
DISPATCH 006: JUNE/JULY 2015
01 - MSDS ONLINE
MAY
JUNE The Digifabshop employee of the month for June is Saul Schisler. Since Saul joined the Digifab team last September, he has been an invaluable contributor to the growth of the fabrication team and our business in general. Saul's knowledge of metals, their properties, and fabrication techniques, along with his passion for his craft, was exactly what we needed as we aimed to build our metal fabrication capabilities. And his interest in continually learning, being involved in new projects, and helping out wherever and whenever he can, have really proven him to be a perfect fit. Along with Saul's skills and work ethic, though, his positive outlook and level headed nature make him a real pleasure to be around and to work with. He really sets the bar high in terms of a good attitude, approachability, and team communication, and for this we're very appreciative. Thanks, Saul for all your hard work and dedication.
DISPATCH 006: JUNE/JULY 2015
It's not very often that we have a project come through the shop that we get to see from concept all the way through final installation. Jason Jacques' most recent gallery renovation has been the major focus in the fabrication area for the past few weeks and we are excited to see it begin to take shape. Seen above is Saul testing the expanded metal mesh ceiling panels in the freshly blackened and waxed frame. Look out for more photographs as Dustin continues the installation this month.
04 - WATER BASED FINISHING We are taking the initiative to switch over, wherever possible, to waterbased finishing in order to improve our overall air quality both here in the shop and in our client's spaces. The finishing department has been running tests with Sher-wood Kem aqua plus waterborne sealer and has had great success so far - look out for a full switch over for all of our CMG work and more!
LIGNA 2015 02 - NYC 80 X 50 PLAN Mayor DeBlasio recently announced his 80 X 50 plan in New York. This ambition plan commits the New York building infrastructure to do everything possible to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050. Since there is only so much that can be done by retrofitting existing buildings, a huge portion of this commitment will come in designing highly efficient new buildings. What does this mean for a company like Digifabshop? Within the next few years, there is a good possibility that the market for prefabricated passive building modules will be booming.
GERMANY '15
FACTORY TOUR
03 - PASSIVE HOUSE GOES BIG: CORNELL NY TECH CAMPUS
A few weeks back we traveled down to NYC to attend this years Passive House conference and expo. With the Passive House model quickly making traction in the United States, it was an impressive turnout. Hundreds of industry professionals came together to share their knowledge pertaining to this exciting new building technology.
A.
As you all know, we have not yet participated in a job pertaining to the subject matter, but we see the improvements that a skill set like ours can provide. Our goal at this conference was to examine ways in which our environmentally controlled shop setting and precision CNC technologies can help take Passive House production technologies to a new level. Below are some of our experiences and takeaways:
Meyer Werft
01 - INCREASING DEMAND FOR [CUSTOM] PREFAB Passive house building is taking off in two separate tracks: highly custom, high end, site-constructed construction and "dumb" but inexpensive prefabricated construction. There is virtually no one who is bridging the gap between these two areas. The reasons for this are complicated, but digital fabrication from both a CNC and pre-planning perspective have potential to ease the tension. The window detail below sums up the main difference between site built and prefab: prefab can take on these tight tolerances (which are required to eliminate airflow), yet prefabrication is typically limited in its ability to create
B.
LIGNA is the leading event in the field of woodworking machines for industrial mass production. This year's biggest takeaway was how ripe for re-thinking and modernization timber construction is in the United States. While there have been significant advances in the technology of the CNC machinery we are already familiar with, some of the most impressive advances were focused in the field of heavy timber construction. Pictured to the left (A) are examples of CNC controlled joinery and the high degree of variation that is possible. Image (B) represents the possibilities for a larger assembly of these parts.
Up until recently, Passive House systems were limited to residential construction here in the US. For the first time ever, designers are starting to apply these systems to large buildings with a high degree of success. In a house, there is not a high demand for prefabrication, but with a large building the demand is much greater. Cornell University's new tech campus on Roosevelt Island will feature one of the first high rise buildings in the US to feature a net-zero energy consumption, all through the use of passive building technology. The highrise that is shown in the above rendering will feature a prefabricated wall system of an R-34 insulation rating - this is nearly triple what you would see in a conventionally built residential home. This rating, combined with air-tight construction techniques, high-efficiency mechanical systems and a campus-wide cogeneration plant hopes to provide one of the first net-zero high-rises in the country.
Located in Papenburg, Meyer Werft is one of Germany's largest shipyards. While it's shear size is impressive, what makes this yard special is its commitment to modernization and digital technologies. Almost the whole production process has been digitized, which saves time and money. A lot of projects can be planned and saved in the virtual world and assembly processes can be tested. 3D simulations allow planning with a high degree of anticipation. This avoids "surprises" in the production process, and accelerates construction. Mistakes can be avoided well before they cost a lot of money when the ship is already in the production stage.
04 - FROM FIELD TO FACTORY
One of the most beneficial presentations that we sat in on was by a company called EcoCor out of Maine. They specialize in prefabricated passive house residences in the northeast climate and have become very good at it over the past few years. Since they are some of the pioneers in the business, they have led the way in terms of figuring out much of the science involved in the process. They have developed an extensive "kit of parts" that can be assembled into homes of many shapes and sizes.
Volkswagon Volkwagon's Die Glaserne Manufaktur, or transparent factory, is in the middle of the city of Dresen. The main purpose of the factory is the assembly of VW's luxury sedan, the Phaeton, though it could be argued that it's primary function is to showcase their cutting edge technologies. The oval shaped assembly line is .93 miles long, featuring a driverless transportation system that hustles car chassis and parts along a recessed track that uses 60,000 magnets. The computer controlled system employs sliding "fish scale" surfaces that move seamlessly, automatically sensing obstacles, and stops when necessary.
Their main theme was: "Why panelize?" and their argument was that through their highly engineered kit of parts, they can achieve complete customization and scalability to meet their clients' needs. By seeing each project from the initial client meeting to design and engineering to assembly of the unit to the final commissioning, they can maintain unprecedented tolerances and ensure complete functionality in all of their products.
complex geometries. Here at Digifabshop, we deal with both tight tolerances and complex geometries on a daily basis. We are seeing a lot of potential to apply these design expertise to this emerging market.
DISPATCH 006: JUNE/JULY 2015
What really interested us about this meeting wasn't the successes of EcoCor, but rather their failures. Their self-admitted challenges are as follows: Complex geometries, pre-planning and logistics, research and design with regards to new components, and air-sealing their field connections. All of these weaknesses are attributes that we believe we excel at here at Digifabshop. Through our attention to detail in the pre-planning phases, interest in R&D and expertise in custom installations, we feel that prefabricated Passive House homes (and even larger buildings!) would be right up our alley.
DISPATCH 006: JUNE/JULY 2015