Digital Fabrication and How It Affects the Future of Indonesian Construction World

Abstract

the rapid advancement of technology in the field of industry is changing the construction world, and it comes in different forms, one of which is digital fabrication technology. As the technology of fabrication process that is aided by computer, such as 3d printing and CNC machines, becoming more affordable and more user friendly, they are slowly becoming a core component in the construction process in the future, as the result has a guarantee in precision and speed, even for a complex structure or geometry. The base material in this fabrication type has also varied greatly over time, and some of the base materials have the capabilities to withheld heavy load, rendering it perfect for construction. The technology also allows the creation of precise prototypes and scale models that can help the design process. In this golden age of internet and computer-aided design, the user-friendly factor of digital fabrication means that the technology can be used by all sorts of people, even those who have limited knowledge in structure, design, and development, making it a universal tool of development. Such numerous advantages will eventually affect the construction world, whether in the design process, the cost, the timeframe, and more importantly, the workforce, the people whose job can be reduced or even fully replaced by the digital fabrication technology. By using qualitative and descriptive analysis, and combined by the literature study approach, this research wishes to evaluate the effects of digital fabrication in Indonesia's current construction world, and how it will affect the country's construction world soon. As of now, the digital fabrication is still being used scarcely in the construction world in Indonesia, due to the price and due to the limited knowledge of it by those who worked in the construction world. By knowing and defining the potentials, the threats, and the effects of using digital fabrication as a core component in the construction process, this paper can become an introduction on how the construction world, the society, and the government should act correctly towards digital fabrication, as it is a major element in the fourth industrial revolution.