In recent years, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has significantly improved design coordination and collaboration across the construction industry. However, there still seems to be a considerable gap between digital design models and manufacturing processes.
In many projects, BIM models contain detailed geometry and coordination information, yet fabrication teams still rely heavily on manually prepared shop drawings or separate CAM workflows before components can be produced.
From an engineering perspective, this raises an interesting question.
If BIM models were structured with the right information and governed through frameworks such as ISO 19650, could they be used more directly as sources of manufacturing data?
For example, in some fabrication sectors – particularly timber construction, steel fabrication, and modular building systems – parametric models can already be translated into machine instructions such as CNC toolpaths or G-code.
However, the process is not always straightforward. There are often challenges related to:
• data structure within BIM models
• interoperability between BIM and CAM software
• reliability of model information for production
• validation and approval processes before fabrication
I am interested in hearing from engineers and digital construction professionals who have worked with BIM-to-fabrication workflows.
Specifically:
• Have you seen projects where BIM models directly support CNC or robotic fabrication?
• What technical barriers currently limit this integration?
• Are existing BIM standards sufficient for manufacturing workflows, or do we need new frameworks?
Any insights, experiences, or examples from real projects would be greatly appreciated.