Any given fall Sunday, we get to watch our favorite football team and, if we understand the sport, we can see what they do well and where they are lacking. Each game is full of statistics, and the statistics tell us where our team ranks in relation to previous games, other teams, past years, and so on. During the week between games, we talk about how great their passing game has been or how little protection the QB has, so they are always on the run and never get in their offense. With all of the readily available statistics, we can see the strengths of our team as well as where they may have holes in their production and execution. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.]
Most component manufacturers typically don’t have access to the same amount of information or statistics as sports teams do, or even know what is available to them to improve. In some of the facilities that I have visited, they can’t tell me for sure if they are even winning or not. They generally have an idea if they are meeting production needs, but they don’t know if they would be ready to meet demands for increased production. Issues may be easy to see from the outside looking in, but not always evident to those in the day-to-day operations. Solutions are not always evident, either.
The five reasons your wall panel production may not be winning:
5. Lack of consistent and trained labor.
Are you losing time each week because the right person wasn’t there? How much time is spent re-training because you have new hires with little to no experience? Is it difficult to plan production because you don’t know who will be there to produce?
It may be time to automate some functions in the line to minimize necessary labor and increase employee quality of life. With the right machinery, you could minimize the impact of workforce inconsistency and work more efficiently—with increased production and higher-quality finished products.
4. Not utilizing your design software to get the most production out of your line.
Are you able to maximize the capabilities of the design software that you pay for?
MiTek is probably the most popular design software for producing wall panels, but I cannot tell you how many times that I have asked a MiTek shop if they utilize the multi-wall function in their software only to get blank stares back at me. If you are unaware of what I am referring to, reach out to your MiTek rep.
WEINMANN machinery works extremely well utilizing the multi-wall feature. The goal is to keep the tables full and have the machines running continually. The multi-wall function helps maximize table usage so the machines can run more while starting over and re-calibrating less.
It may be time to also look at an MES software. MES stands for Manufacturing Execution System. It is a comprehensive, dynamic software system that monitors, tracks, documents, and controls the process of manufacturing goods, from raw materials to finished products. It will help you optimize your wall line. A great example of an easy-to-use MES is granIT Basic. Your existing design software provider may have an MES feature, as well.
For more on MES, I recommend reading our article in last month’s issue, “A Case for Manufacturing Execution Software (MES)” by my colleague, Dario Schmidt.
3. Processes or steps that are not adding value.
One way to gauge the effectiveness of your processes is to take note of how often people are moving without adding any value to the process. Examples include:
- Steps to get more studs. Are saws located close enough to the line?
- Steps to remove waste from cutouts of OSB that could have been minimized with the right panel saw.
- Steps to carry tools from one process to another. Again, can we automate the process?
- Two people required to lift heavy sheets of OSB that could be done by one person and a vacuum lift.
- Many people required to accomplish one step (manually framing walls, for example).
Making small adjustments to how things are done can greatly impact your efficiency and productivity over time.
2. Issues that affect your production (linear feet per shift).
The metric that we use to measure line production is linear feet per shift. Do you know your numbers and what factors affect them? A few things to consider:
- Interior versus exterior walls: We split out interior wall linear feet numbers from exterior wall numbers because interior walls do not require sheathing.
- Optimizing and precutting OSB prior to the line versus using full sheets.
- Manual framing versus using a frame station like the FRAMETEQ.
- Manually cutting top and bottom plate boards versus accomplishing this on the FRAMETEQ.
- Amount of blocking: Are you doing it in line or on site? Is it called for by engineering or for cabinets and towel bars? A lot of blocking means a drop in production—can you do less?
- The complexity of each wall design.
- Number of openings (windows and doors).
- Slow process for applying sheathing to the walls.
- How well you are utilizing multi-wall function in the software: Are you maximizing your line by maximizing your walls?
- How specialty walls you only do occasionally can bog down the line (raked walls, for instance).
- How many layers of sheathing are being done.
- Fastening process: Nailing versus staples versus screws.
- Sawing rough openings versus routing them.
All of these factors play into your production rates and need to be examined if you want to level up your production.
1. Your business has outgrown your machinery.
This is a big one for many businesses. For example, maybe you started out building wall panels by hand and then added a simple nailing bridge, but you are still manually framing walls. No matter what stage of growth or automation you are in, there are opportunities to be more efficient and productive. One or more of the following common questions may be ones you could be asking today.
“Can I take out my existing inefficient bridge and replace it with a WEINMANN multi-function bridge?” The answer is yes.
Replace your existing bridge with a WEINMANN WALLTEQ multi-function CNC bridge that fastens and cuts openings on the same unit. Incorporate the stud straightener with one of our tables and you can virtually eliminate shiners as well. Plus, nail depth and spacing, which are hot topics when dealing with ZIP sheathing, will no longer be issues as they can be set on the WALLTEQ and be executed with accuracy and precision every time.
“Can I add the FRAMETEQ and WALLTEQ and still utilize some of my existing tables?” Again, the answer is yes.
Add automated framing to your line with a FRAMETEQ framing station. The FRAMETEQ can be equipped with saws to cut your top and bottom plate boards to length without you doing anything. A properly equipped FRAMETEQ is a great addition to optimizing your line, and we can place a WALLTEQ over an existing table as long as that table can clamp the wall and hold it square.
“I don’t have a lot of room for new machinery. Will it fit?” Let’s look at the room and machines you are currently using. Sometimes one of our machines makes two of your existing machines unnecessary, allowing for more room. For example, if you currently nail your OSB on one table with a nailing bridge then move the wall to the next table/bridge to rout openings, we can save space by having both fastening and cutting openings happening on a single bridge.
“My process is all manual and reliant upon too much labor. Is it too much of a jump to go to an automated line?” Not at all—we will help you walk before you run.
Build in Phases: For example, start with one line that can do both interior and exterior walls. As production demands increase, you can add a dedicated interior line.
Proper Training: Stiles Machinery offers Stiles University, a fully accredited training program with both online and on-site training. When purchasing machinery from Stiles, you will receive training at three stages:
- Pre-Installation: Online through Stiles University for general introduction prior to install.
- During Installation: Hands-on training with the WEINMANN install team at your facility.
- Post-Installation: On-site at a Stiles University location with an instructor for machine-specific training and maintenance/operation. Then, typically 2–3 months later, WEINMANN will send a trainer from Germany for 1–3 weeks to help with system optimization and work through the full use of your new machine in your environment.
“We are experienced with our machinery, but what should we do if the machines are outdated and insufficient for our sales and production goals?” Let’s look at your whole process and where you want to be by answering this question with some more questions:
- Are you planning a new facility or have an existing facility for new machinery? Do you have a CAD layout of the facility?
- Do you know what linear feet you need to produce today and where you want to be?
- Are there other areas of construction that you would like to get into, like floor cassettes or window installation?
- Do you need to process I-joists? A BEAMTEQ saw is the perfect solution for EWP processing.
- Is it time to bring in a consultant to help with decisions and processes for a new facility?
- Are you interested in robotic solutions?
By addressing even one of these critical factors, you can elevate your wall panel production to new heights and position your business for success in today’s competitive market. Stiles Machinery and WEINMANN can help with all of these questions and concerns. We welcome the chance to sit down and discuss which solutions are best to make your production line a winner. You can contact us at (616) 698-7500 or visit StilesMachinery.com/OSC to learn more.