JMB Modular applies manufacturing logic to housing production in regional Victoria

As part of Built Offsite’s continuing series on JMB Modular, this second piece examines how the company’s factory system operates in practice, from structural assembly to near-complete modular delivery. (main image: James and Rachel Briggs inside JMB Modular’s Shepparton manufacturing facility during a walkthrough of the company’s modular housing production line.)

At the centre of the Shepparton, regional Victoria facility is a moving production line built around eight defined stations.

“It’s a moving production line with eight workstations,” Managing Director James Briggs said. “The modules will spend four days in each station before moving on.”

The intent is to remove variability, sequence trades, and treat housing as a repeatable product.

From structural steel to framed module
Production begins in station one, where structural steel frames are assembled.

“This is where all the heavy structural steel happens,” Briggs said. The station integrates CNC-controlled cutting equipment and laser projection systems adapted from aerospace manufacturing. “We can upload plans and it’ll project them onto the floor.”

This allows structural elements, services and layouts to be positioned with precision before fabrication begins.

Precast floor systems are also introduced at this stage.

“Precast is what’s setting us apart,” Briggs said, referring to fire separation and structural performance.

Modules are then lifted and transferred using synchronised gantry cranes.

“We have two 25-tonne synchronised cranes,” he said. “One guy with one remote can pick up and move a 50-tonne module.”

Station two shifts to light gauge steel framing, where walls, floors and roof trusses are assembled.

“We’ve infilled this whole thing with light gauge steel,” Briggs said.

Digital BIM models are available on the factory floor, allowing teams to interact with the design during construction.

James and Rachel Briggs during a factory tour at JMB Modular’s Shepparton facility, outlining the company’s approach to modular housing production, manufacturing flow and near-complete volumetric delivery.

Sequencing trades and maintaining flow
Stations three and four move into services and preparation.

“Station three is where all the rough-ins happen,” Briggs said, referring to electrical and plumbing installation.

“Station four is all the pre-plaster work,” he said, including battens, windows and external attachments.

The sequencing is deliberate. Internal preparation is prioritised before external enclosure, improving access for insulation and services and reducing rework.

A key feature of the system is the use of floating tasks.

“Floating tasks are very important for maintaining our takt times,” Briggs said.

This allows non-critical activities to shift between stations, ensuring the production line continues to move even when minor delays occur.

Environmental control becomes critical in station five, where plastering is completed.

“One of the key things is controlling the atmosphere,” Briggs said. “We can get drying times down.”

Managing temperature and humidity allows wet trades to align with the production schedule and maintain takt time.

Completing the module before it leaves the factory
Station six focuses on external cladding, while station seven completes the internal fit-out.

Joinery, fixtures, finishes and final detailing are completed before the module reaches the final stage.

Station eight is dedicated to commissioning.

“It’ll be commissioning the ovens, the hot water service, the air conditioning,” Briggs said.

Modules are then wrapped, weighed and prepared for transport.

“We know exactly where the weight is,” he said. “There’s no guesswork on site.”

This includes capturing centre-of-gravity data to inform lifting and installation.

The level of completion is a defining feature of the system.

“When we say complete, it is 95 per cent complete,” Briggs said.

Rachel Briggs, Director at JMB Modular, describes what that means in practice.

“Once we deliver this to site, it’s only a couple of days connecting services and then it’s ready to move in,” she said.

Designing for repeatability and scale
At a component level, the factory is set up to support consistency.

Briggs said the company uses roll forming to produce wall frames, with each member formed in sequence, including punching and service holes, before being assembled.

The choice of assembly methods reflects that focus.

“With screws, you’ve got to apply the right pressure,” he said. “With rivets… it’s basically foolproof.”

This allows less experienced workers to contribute effectively, reducing variability and supporting scale.

Across all eight stations, the system is designed to standardise workflow, maintain consistent takt times, and maximise completion before site delivery.

A system built to remove variability
Part 1 of this series outlined where delays sit — before production begins and after modules leave the factory.

Inside the facility, those variables are largely removed.

“It starts with structural steel in station one… and keeps moving through until station eight,” Briggs said.

Each stage is defined. Each output is checked. Each module follows the same sequence.

The result is a production system designed to reduce uncertainty and compress on-site work into final connections.

Where the broader delivery environment remains fragmented, the factory is structured to be the opposite — controlled, repeatable, and predictable.

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