The system is built on dataform.work, a 50:50 digital construction joint venture established between PERI Group and DataB in 2025. It automates the translation of 3D models into production-ready components, enabling, the company says, faster, more precise, and more cost-effective delivery of complex聽geometries.
The bespoke formwork often needed to deliver architect鈥檚 ambitious designs has traditionally required extensive manual detailing, programming, and workshop time. The digital workflow enabled by DataB software significantly reduces that complexity while increasing planning reliability. It means that the process from concept models to component production can be carried out in less than half the聽time.
The technology was first deployed in the UK on foundations for a footbridge along the High Speed 2 route near Coventry. The foundation design featured 13 different facets and angles, engineered to optimise structural load paths and reduce concrete consumption for a lower embodied carbon footprint. The JV鈥檚 automated production process enabled the precise manufacture of the complex internal void former quickly and economically, demonstrating the system鈥檚 viability for demanding infrastructure聽applications.
The workflow starts with PERI engineers uploading a project鈥檚 3D model into the platform. The software automatically generates the cutting data and detailed assembly instructions for the substructure鈥檚 geometry. Components are then precision-milled from plywood using advanced 5-axis CNC machinery before being assembled in a PERI production facility and delivered to site ready for聽installation.
The innovative joint design significantly reduces the need for screws and the use of glue altogether. As well as accelerating assembly in the warehouse, the design incorporates integrated striking elements that allow void formers for windows and doors in particular to be removed more efficiently and with reduced risk of damage. This improves the practicality of reuse in the high-rise market and helps contractors maintain programme certainty on complex聽pours.