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Anna Stamm

Advertiser Forum: What Does “Expert” Mean?

Anna Stamm

I freely admit that I have watched more than my share of house-hunting shows. My favorites fall into two categories – seeing homes (and prices) in US cities where I would consider moving next and seeing homes in international locations where I know I’ll never go (e.g., Southeast...

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June 2021
Issue #13263
Page 6
Joe Kannapell

Sixty Years of Machines, Part XIX: Automation Battles

Joe Kannapell

An automation battle was brewing in the late 1980s, but the first skirmish wasn’t over machinery. It was over software. Software that would minimize more than just the manual labor, but also the “thinking” done by machine operators. The time finally arrived when, after decades...

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June 2021
Issue #13263
Page 10
Wendy Boyd

Machinery Choices are a Big Decision

Wendy Boyd

Spida Machinery is a Global business, drawing on all our production centers for the best of ideas, production diversity, research, development, and supply. While Frame, Truss, Wall builders, and Component Suppliers in different countries are navigating their own patch of turf for future...

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June 2021
Issue #13263
Page 17
Todd Drummond

True Leadership

Todd Drummond

There are so many challenges leaders face within our industry today that are ever-changing and, quite frankly, unprecedented. Whether your position of leadership is overall, departmental, or team level, the challenges are never-ending. Too often in our industry, people are in a position of...

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June 2021
Issue #13263
Page 29
Glenn Traylor

Can Designs Be Modified During Truss Manufacture?

Glenn Traylor

The simple answer to the title question, can designs be changed during manufacturing, is yes. But, the situation is rarely straightforward and simple in reality. The better question is: What considerations are necessary when making modifications to the design while manufacturing a truss? To...

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June 2021
Issue #13263
Page 41
Tracy Roe

Management Software YOUR Way

Tracy Roe

In this series of articles focused on job management, the main theme has been adaptability. Component fabricators shouldn’t be required to adapt their operation to a piece of software. Instead, the value is in a software solution that adapts to their needs. No two component manufacturing...

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June 2021
Issue #13263
Page 52
Ed Serrano

Automating Production with a Direct Delivery System

Ed Serrano

If you Google images of “automated production lines,” the results are filled with pictures of robot arms and conveyor lines. What you won’t see – people. Why? Because in automated production lines, humans tend to touch the work in progress as little as possible. Why?...

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June 2021
Issue #13263
Page 58
Chris Scott

Industry Software: What you need to know

Chris Scott

Software used to be an afterthought, using whatever software your truss plate provider had. In the past, most companies thought software was given to them for free with their machine purchase, when in actuality it was rolled into their pricing. Whether you used Comsoft’s Wall Builder...

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June 2021
Issue #13263
Page 65
Steve Shrader

CNC = CLT: Growing Mass Timber in Arkansas

Steve Shrader

In December 2019, Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation, the leading mass timber manufacturer in North America, announced the expansion of its operations into the United States, with a plant in Conway, Arkansas, set to open in mid-2021. The Canadian-based company, in which Walmart has made an...

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June 2021
Issue #13263
Page 70
Thom McAnally

The Impact of Interstate Infrastructure

Infrastructure: the basic systems and services, such as transportation and power supplies, that a country or organization uses in order to work effectively – Cambridge Dictionary Lovely weather for a road trip! “OMG,” as my kids would say, or “Oh My God,” as...

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June 2021
Issue #13263
Page 76
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