Home Building Technology, Part II: Mass Production Technology Joe Kannapell, PE While Sears had stolen the spotlight on precut technology, their lesser-known rival, Aladdin Homes, helped usher in prefabrication, but not initially. For many years, Aladdin fought the concept of pre-assembling parts of homes in their factory, asserting that their precut packages took... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 10
Benefit from a Wall Line Solution That Fits Your Business! Wendy Boyd When it comes to wall frame lines, they aren’t all made equally. At Spida Machinery, we pride ourselves on providing solutions that are comprehensive, innovative, and most importantly, designed for your manufacturing needs and budget. The beginning of the year is often a time to reflect... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 17
The Sales Team’s Number One Time-Wasting Activity Todd Drummond When it comes to the sales team, the very group that provides the lifeblood of the entire company, there is often one blind spot for wasted efforts. Why do so many companies allow their sales team to jump through so many hoops to find need-to-know-right-now information? Why must the sales... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 28
Joint Detailing for Accurate Plate Placement Edmond Lim, P.Eng. Good joint detailing at the design stage can help truss builders accurately position truss plates, including the back plate which is essentially positioned “blindly.” Laser projection is excellent for positioning the top face plate, however, it is subject to the same limitations for... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 48
The Digital Revolution in Offsite Construction and Manufacturing Ben Hershey and Thomas Griffin The offsite construction industry is undergoing a transformative era, driven by the advent of digital technologies. This evolution is not only revolutionizing how projects are managed but also addressing fundamental industry challenges. As more firms embrace digitization, understanding its... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 60
A Case for Manufacturing Execution Software (MES) Dario Schmidt Before we jump right to the point, please, imagine your own shop. Do you ever get frustrated by the lack of organization in your office? Do you feel like you’ve got the right people, and maybe the right equipment, but you’re just not getting as much production as you feel you should?... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 68
Home Building Technology, Part I: Wall Panel Beginnings Joe Kannapell, PE As we start 2025, we have surpassed the 125th year of offsite wall technology, so it seems fitting to return to the beginning and describe its early progression. Surprisingly, this includes the Ready-Frame® technology that is currently being marketed by Builders FirstSource, as well as the... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 10
Full Steam Ahead for 2025 with Spida Wendy Boyd It’s no secret that 2024 brought a number of challenges for the construction sector across the world. However, as I’m writing this, I’m reflecting with pride how the expertise, hard work, and adaptability of our team ensured we continued to deliver high-quality machinery with... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 19
Ten Commandments for Improvement Todd Drummond As we all start the New Year, we see the road ahead and the challenges we must face. This is part of the life experience: as time moves forward, markets change, and competition will always try to take what you have built. Many difficulties may look daunting, but with the right attitude, we can... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 28
The Art of a Lumber PickLine Edmond Lim, P.Eng. Of course, if you’re starting a truss plant from the ground up, it’s a snap to include an Enventek Lumber PickLine in your plans. The real beauty of the Lumber PickLine, however, is that it can be easily configured for existing truss plants – whether inside the plant or outside... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 46