Advertiser Forum: Making Mistakes Anna Stamm We’re all adults, so we can admit that we all make our share of stupid mistakes. I’m not talking about important mistakes that have real consequences. I’m talking about the small, annoying, obnoxious mistakes that make us shake our heads and wish we could go back and correct... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 6
Sixty Years of Machines, Part VIII: Trackless Gantries Joe Kannapell In the 1990s, a storm began brewing in the component business. It started on the Eastern Seaboard when Carolina Builders bought a truss plant in Tidewater, Virginia. Later, it gained strength when Builders Supply & Lumber (BSL) opened a series of greenfield plants. And finally, it reached an... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 10
Navigating Your Future with Spida Wendy Boyd What a diverse, interesting, and sometimes scary world we live in. As we navigate our own patch of turf and crystal ball gaze about what the future holds, we are mindful of the differences in the world business landscape. Spida Machinery operates three distinct manufacturing facilities, in... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 16
The Battle Within Our Operations Ben Hershey Does this conversation sound familiar? “How fast can we reliably supply that component job to our customer?” asks the sales manager. “And don’t make us look like fools by telling me a date that will never be met or is too far out!” “I will tell you how... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 26
How Can Member to Member Gaps Be Corrected? Glenn Traylor The Advertiser - June 2017 | Page #30 Compliance with ANSI/TPI 1–2014 requires maintaining member to member gaps at less than 1/8 inch. An exception would be for floor truss chord splices where the limit is 1/16 inch. While building trusses, the code calls for tight joints. In a... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 35
Critical Summertime Repeated Problem Areas Hindering Sales Todd Drummond Year after year, too many companies suffer needlessly with the same common problems. Even after making new equipment investments and receiving assurances that things will be different, the old issues keep rearing their heads. ! Even with the additional equipment investment, production... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 44
Better Tools for Optimizing Your Wall Panel Production Tracy Roe Our industry is continuously changing—there is no denying this fact. There is always a hot topic that gives birth to new buzzwords which gain popularity and begin trending. One of the latest examples is “Off Site Construction.” Everyone has heard it and, like many things in our... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 58
Making Software ‘Simple’ Ed Serrano Price, speed, accuracy, footprint, service, and support. Those are the most common features considered when it comes to purchasing a linear saw. And, yes, they are important, but a linear saw is nothing but powder-coated steel and a blade until it’s told what to do. That’s why what... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 62
‘Factor In’ the Low Factor Rates This Summer Ray Fedorko The pandemic environment has affected many things. Perhaps surprisingly, one of the effects derives from the Fed’s desire to assist the economy in any way possible. In particular, interest rates which were already at historical lows are now even lower. As a result, monthly payment quotes... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 73
A Tactical Approach to Automation Mike Ruede Jr. My name may seem familiar or even confusing to some since I share it with my father. We, like every father and son, have our similarities and differences. We share drive, integrity, honesty, and the significance of one’s character. We do have differences as well and one of them is how we... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 86