MCAA’s 2022 Fabrication Conference Offers a Look Into the Network of Shops Approach

September 20, 2022
As fabrication progresses towards manufacturing, a new approach is being taken that mirrors industrial manufacturing. For mechanical and plumbing contractors, this new approach involves a network of fabrication facilities, VDC resources and jobsite construction crews that work together to design and build projects as efficiently as possible. The 2022 MCAA Fabrication Conference, powered by MSUITE will be hosted by McKinstry Company, who will share insight into their network of shops approach. Registration is temporarily sold out while we secure additional hotel rooms. If interested, sign up for the waitlist.

As fabrication progresses towards manufacturing, a new approach is being taken that mirrors industrial manufacturing. The approach is known as distributed manufacturing for many industrial producers. For mechanical and plumbing contractors, it involves a network of fabrication facilities, VDC resources and jobsite construction crews that work together to design and build projects as efficiently as possible.

The 2022 MCAA Fabrication Conference, powered by MSUITE will be hosted by McKinstry Company, who will share insight into their network of shops approach. It involves coordination and balance of both fabrication and VDC resources across their multiple locations. In order to do this, it takes ample resources in software, VDC personnel and fabrication tools & equipment. 

It begins with the people. VDC operators need to be able to not only have expert knowledge in drawing, but codes for multiple jurisdictions. They also need to be able to coordinate between offices and remote workers to allocate portions of the job and track progress. Once drawn and approved for fabrication, manufacturing and supply chain operations takes center stage and a determination must be made for where to fabricate based on final location and specialized equipment for each fabrication facility. Final installation is then performed by construction crews distributed over a wide geographical area around multiple office locations. 

While this technique might be seen as only approachable by large contractors with multiple locations, it can actually be used by small contractors that are looking to outsource parts of their operations. Many contractors use multiple VDC resources outside of their operations when coordinating and designing. The same goes for outsourcing parts of their fabrication from other trades or specialty firms.

To learn more, attend the 2022 MCAA Fabrication Conference, November 2-4 in Seattle, Washington. 

UPDATE: Registration is temporarily sold out while we secure additional hotel rooms. If interested, please fill out the waitlist registration form below and submit it to MCAA.

Related Articles
Outside advisors can help a company gauge management performance, answer operations questions, assist with planning for the future, arbitrate internal differences, and keep management alert to relevant changes in the external world. MCAA’s Corporate Structure: Using Outside Advisors/Directors offers tips for finding and involving these outside advisors. It’s just one of MCAA’s educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership.…
For many contractors, coffee is as essential as any tool on the job site. It’s reliable, it keeps you going, and it has been around forever. But, as every coffee drinker knows, even the best coffee can lose its punch if it sits too long. Eventually, you need a fresh brew to get the full effect. The same goes for trusted practices in construction. Register for the MEP Innovation Conference today and prepare for your fresh jolt of innovation and inspiration.…
On November 7th, MCAA President Rick Gopffarth joined ALI contractor-facilitators and faculty on UNC’s beautiful Kenan-Flagler executive education campus to congratulate the newest graduates of MCAA's Advanced Leadership Institute. ALI Class 24 began as a group of strangers and rapidly evolved into a community of peers committed to collaborative learning and growth in a way that made it very apparent that the future of the mechanical industry is bright! These 34 MCAA and MSCA executives rose to every challenge as they learned and practiced leading-edge strategies to advance themselves, their teams, and their businesses.…
The Manufacturer/Supplier Training area of MCAA’s website connects our contractor members with training opportunities available from the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.…
Load More...