CARES research: product and process digitalization for design and manufacturing of prefabricated cardboard panels

Building prefabrication is facing the challenge to reduce the life-cycle impact of construction, enhance material circularity, and increase the quality of building products and processes. The paper presents the first phase of the research CARES - CArdboard RElocatable School developed with the Italian brand Archicart by Area S.r.l with the aim to prototype a temporary school unit. The work presented is focused on the industrialization of a prefabricated building technology based on the use of cardboard panels (PACOTECTM Stre-Wall panels). Cardboard is a circular and environmentally sustainable material but currently the design and manufacturing process lacks digital integration, resulting in poor quality control, limited adaptability, and lack of material optimization. To address sustainability goals, the work implemented a "file-to-factory" approach to redesign the design-manufacturing process of prefabricated cardboard panels, integrating industry 4.0 paradigms in manufacturing (automation, high-precision manufacturing) and the use of BIM tools for design to achieve better product-process quality and predictability. The redesigned workflow allows achieving sustainability goals, such as reduction of errors, reduction of material wastes, cost and time predictability, product customization, and adaptability. The workflow will be verified and tested in the design and manufacturing of prefabricated cardboard panels to build a temporary school unit.