Abstract
This paper aims to make clear the transition process of information transfer in wooden post and beam construction in Japan during the introduction and development of machine precutting technology. The machine precutting technology started from 1970s and developed toward line production or automated CAD-CAM production and have got over 90 % market share in the Japanese newly built wooden houses. Based on literature review and interviews with manufacturers of precutting machines, the transition of wooden post and beam construction houses was divided into four periods: i) before the introduction of precutting, ii) the introduction of precutting (the early stage), iii) the automation of precutting, and iv) the maturity of precutting, and the review reveals how the information of design and processing was made and transfered in each period. In addition, the modeling and comparison of information transfer in each period visually shows the transition of information transfer with the development of machine precutting technology. Before the introduction of precutting, when carpenters were responsible for the generation of both design and processing information, information was coordinated at each stage of the process based on expert knowledge, but highly precise and uniform processing of machine precutting reduced the need for such coordination skills. On the other hand, the review suggested that the precut processing technology has changed step by step based on the traditional technical system, which has maintained the rational transfer of information.