Advertiser Forum: Expecting an Instantaneous Answer Anna Stamm I’m always amazed, and irritated, when people expect an instantaneous answer. In these days of instant electronic communication, the fact that replies could be immediate is often conflated with the thought that they will be immediate. This leads to unnecessary aggravation for everyone... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 6
The Development of the Truss Plate, Part VII: Contentious Competition Joe Kannapell The plated truss industry went bonkers around 1961. Truss fabricators were besieging suppliers for product and were willing to try nearly any plate or machine. Plate suppliers had to conform to the new testing and QC required by TPI-60, but machinery vendors had no guidelines beyond satisfying... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 10
Creating Solutions with Labor-Saving Equipment Wendy Boyd When arriving back to work after Christmas holidays, I had a few hundred emails to work through and a multitude of other tasks to conquer so I’d be up to speed again for 2023. One of the most compelling emails I had was from a Truss and Wall Fabricator who was appealing to me to help solve... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 17
Money Hides Many Sins (Waste) Todd Drummond A trending DIY post shows a long sequence of nail holes alongside a wall-mounted TV with a caption that says, “I knew that stud was in there somewhere.” Meant to be a humorous poke at the times when we’ve attempted new projects, it reveals how sometimes we might not have been... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 24
Has Your Guideline Shifted? Glenn Traylor Recently after receiving a phone call from a client, I reflected on our conversation. I was a little caught off guard with the direction the conversation took and felt like I needed to make a few issues clear. And, it has led me to reflect on boundaries and guidelines – why they exist and... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 35
Dependability in an Uncertain Environment Tracy Roe The most popular outlook for 2023 that I have heard is uncertainty. Nobody has a clear picture of what the new year will bring for our industry. Large investments have been made in talent, equipment, and infrastructure to capitalize on the increased demand over the past two years. What about... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 42
Setting the Goal of One Thousand Pieces per Hour Edmond Lim, P.Eng. A “Thousand Pieces an Hour” is a golden truss production metric and a lofty goal for many component plants. If one thousand is the magic number, even at 75% efficiency, in a 7-hour shift (7 hours x 1,000 pieces/hour, at 75%) that would be 5,250 pieces with potential to achieve 7,000... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 48
Increase Truss Production Quality and Efficiency with Precision Printing Rob Bellian If you lack precision printing capabilities in your truss plant, then you need to see what you’re missing! The Vekta P3 is a custom-built print system that can take your business to the next level. The Vekta P3 Printer works seamlessly with the Vekta V5 and S5 Razer Linear Saws. The... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 55
Increasing CLT Options and Supply Steve Shrader Everyone is hearing a lot about CLT, a.k.a. cross laminated timber, these days, so customers are starting to ask their suppliers if more options are available for their use too. Well, wanting to use CLT means that you will need a reliable supply of CLT – and Hundegger has taken great... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 62
Forecasting Inflation and Interest Rates Carl Villella The economic focus these days continues to be on inflation and interest rates. As business owners, we all grapple with the difficulties of trying to plan when you don’t know where prices will be, or how expensive it will be to borrow money. The Fed has already raised interest rates a... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 69