Offsite Automated Manufacturing
Precision. Performance. Progress.
At Donaldson Timber Systems, we’re transforming how homes are built.
Through continued investment in offsite automation, robotics, and digital manufacturing, our facilities deliver unrivalled quality, consistency, and speed, setting new standards for modern methods of construction (MMC) in the UK.
By combining 50 years of timber frame experience with the innovation and stability of the Donaldson Group, we have created a manufacturing platform that redefines what’s possible in low-carbon housebuilding.
Changing the Way We Build
Our state-of-the-art automated production lines are designed to streamline manufacturing, reduce waste, and optimise precision at every stage of the process.
Automation enables us to build smarter, safer, and faster, while maintaining the craftsmanship and technical excellence that have made us a trusted name in timber construction for over half a century.
Key benefits of offsite automation:
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Unrivalled precision: Robotics and digital control ensure consistent quality across every closed and open panel timber frame system.
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Enhanced safety: Work is carried out in a controlled factory environment, reducing on-site risk and manual handling.
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Faster build times: Automated production shortens manufacturing cycles and allows just-in-time delivery for rapid on-site assembly.
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Reduced waste and carbon impact: Automation maximises material efficiency and supports DTS’s commitment to net-zero and low-carbon construction.
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Scalability and reliability: Consistent output ensures delivery certainty across projects of every size, from single plots to large-scale housing developments.
A smarter, safer, more sustainable future
Offsite manufacture allows more of the building process to happen in factory conditions, where quality control, air-tightness, and thermal performance are monitored in real time.
Every component is engineered to meet or exceed building regulations, Future Homes Standard, and MMC Category 2 criteria.
Our facilities operate under ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and ISO 45001 (Health & Safety), proof of our commitment to safe, sustainable, and efficient production.
Building quality in
Automation ensures that quality is embedded in every stage of manufacture.
Each Sigma® II closed-panel timber frame and open-panel timber frame system is precision-engineered to deliver the highest levels of performance, with factory-fitted insulation, membranes, and service zones that guarantee consistency on site.
The result:
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High-performance fabric solutions with superior U-values and air-tightness.
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Reduced site labour and rework, thanks to panels that arrive ready to install.
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Improved programme certainty through accurate scheduling and faster handovers.
Digital manufacturing. Human expertise.
While automation drives efficiency, our people drive excellence.
Our engineers, designers, and production teams work alongside advanced machinery to ensure every panel meets our highest standards for structural integrity, sustainability, and performance.
Through BIM integration, digital design tools, and continuous quality monitoring, we deliver timber frame systems that perform exactly as designed, from factory floor to finished home.
Built for Modern Housebuilding
The investment in offsite automated manufacturing allows us to help our partners achieve the goals that matter most:
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Speed: Homes built faster and more predictably.
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Performance: Consistent quality that meets Future Homes Standard requirements.
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Safety: Fewer manual operations and safer working environments.
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Sustainability: Lower carbon emissions and waste across the supply chain.
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Value: Increased Pre-Manufactured Value (PMV) and reduced total build cost.
For housebuilders, affordable-housing providers, and contractors, DTS automation is helping deliver the next generation of timber frame homes, greener, smarter, and built to last.
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