At MG McGrath Architectural Glass & Glazing, all of our fabrication is done off-site at our in-house manufacturing facility. Using Digital Definition and virtual design and construction (VDC) technologies, MG McGrath Architectural Glass & Glazing has developed computer-controlled pre-fabrication and fabrication processes that allow us to simulate and analyze complete project life cycles prior to fabrication and installation and result in many advantages. In the early stages of a project, we work collaboratively with the architect to acquire schematic designs of the building components, and to create detailed shop drawings for the digitized model. Then, measurements will be taken to and incorporated into the model, allowing us to configure the components of the building with the most accuracy. The data from our computers is then delivered to the machines in our shop and out to our field, allowing for total regulation over geometries and tolerances on each component of the building.

In our experience, prefabrication, preassembly, modularization, and off-site fabrication techniques have proven to offer numerous advantages in comparison to the on-site piece-built approach that is commonplace in the construction industry today, and the incorporation of Digital Definition and VDC technologies is paramount to any lean construction project. The ability for the entire project team to work from the same centralized, digitally defined model produces opportunities for enhanced collaboration among the architects, fabricators and contractors, eliminating miscommunication and misinterpretation of the design. Furthermore, when all of the team members build to the same model, we create lower project costs, shorter schedules, improved quality, more efficient use of labor and materials, and improved worker safety. With this technology, our designers, welders, fabricators and installers have been able to successfully work through difficult design elements virtually, collaborating internally to incorporate field dimensions back into our building model, deconstruct the components, and fabricate entirely off of the model, identifying the necessary steps to overcome an obstacle before encountering unforeseen problems in the field.