1. Dietrich's to Manufacturing: A Practical Integration Guide
How to Use This Guide
This guide combines everything you need to know about integrating Dietrich's with your manufacturing workflow in one place.
If you outsource fabrication → Focus on Parts 1, 2, and 4 If you manufacture in-house → Read Parts 1, 3, and 4 Not sure which you are? → Start with Part 1, Section 1
PART 1: THE FOUNDATION
1. Two Business Models, Two Paths
The integration approach that works for your company depends entirely on your business model. There are two fundamentally different models in timber construction:
The Design-Outsource Model
What it is:
You design buildings in Dietrich's
External suppliers fabricate the components
You coordinate multiple manufacturers
Your output is documentation packages
Who uses this:
Architecture firms
Engineering consultancies
General contractors
Design-build firms that outsource fabrication
Key characteristic: You don't own the CNC machines or control the manufacturing process.
Your focus: Clean documentation handoff to suppliers.
Example: An architecture firm designs a timber structure in Dietrich's, then sends machine files and 2D drawings to three different suppliers: Supplier A makes the glulam beams, Supplier B machines the wall components, and Supplier C produces the roof trusses.
The Vertically Integrated Model
What it is:
You design AND fabricate in-house
You own CNC equipment
You control the entire manufacturing process
Components are made in your facility
Who uses this:
Panel manufacturers
Truss plants
Mass timber fabricators
Vertically integrated builders
Key characteristic: You own the machines and employ the operators.
Your focus: Internal production control and efficiency.
Example: A panel manufacturer designs wall panels in Dietrich's, machines components on their own Hundegger CNC, assembles panels in their facility, and delivers finished panels to the construction site.
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