NEW Zealand-based Framecad has launched a mobile fully self-contained building manufacturing factory housed in a modified 20-foot shipping container, in the Middle East.

The company, with support from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, showcased the mobile unit  dubbed ‘The Factory in a Can’ in Dubai recently.
­­As the factory is fully self-sufficient and housed in a container, it can be shipped, trucked or airlifted to any location and then made operational within 24 hours of delivery, according to the company.
“With its own diesel generator and computer-operated production, the factory manufactures steel frames at the rate of 700 m per hour, providing an ideal solution for residential or commercial construction that’s quick and efficient,” said Framecad chairman Mark Taylor.
He continued: “One major benefit of mobile factory is that pre-engineered structures can be produced, assembled and maintained by a local labour force, even where skill levels are low and there is no reliable infrastructure. This is possible since the production is computer controlled and every piece of framing produced is numbered and coded and can be easily assembled. Our point of difference is the end-to-end integration in the design, detailing, manufacture and supply of materials required to deliver steel framing for the rapid construction of commercial and residential buildings.”
At the heart of Framecad’s offer is cold-formed steel which Taylor said was the ideal building material. “Cold-formed steel is also stronger, lighter and safer than traditional materials such as cement and bricks, making it ideal for areas prone to natural disasters. Steel framing offers greater design flexibility and is suitable for low-cost housing, two-storey homes, modular homes and multi-storey commercial buildings,” he said.
“The factory also helps reduce costs because the framing is produced on site instead of having to be transported from a fixed facility. Transportation costs can also be a big factor when large projects are being developed in remote areas,” he added.