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Nowadays, modular integrated construction (MiC) and design with manufacture and assembly (DfMA) have become the trend in the construction industry all over the world. For the DfMA application for fire services systems, most of the parts such as valves and sprinkler heads can be modified and assembled in a plant and transported to the site for installation.
This technical visit was to Sun Ying Prefab Products Limited. First, the Director Dr Alex Lee gave a presentation on how DfMA works together with the benefits of BIM technology during the design and construction stage and the benefits and potential for the application of DfMA in E&M equipment installation. After that, there was a visit to the plant.
For the modification process, pipes can be cut into the calculated lengths simultaneously by a cutting machine to ensure the accuracy of system assembly with a pipe coupler. This not only save the time of cutting each pipe separately on the construction site but achieve more precision in pipe cutting as most leakages occur at the pipe joints due to the rough edges of manual pipe cutting. Also, the automated machine for the roll groove of the pipe can increase its precision and reduce instability.
For the assembly process, there are several parts of the fire services system that can be assembled such as the control valve set, zoning valve set and the pump set of the E&M systems. All of the assembled parts can be tested in the plant to ensure assembly quality.
The centralised assembly system has proved to be an efficient method for E&M pipework. Efficiency and accuracy are maximised by the workers who specialise in particular aspects and thus increases the stability of the fire services system. In addition, waste produced during manufacturing such as iron filings can be recycled to minimise environmental impact.