How Will the Changes to ANSI/TPI 1 Impact Your Truss Builders and In-House Inspectors? Glenn Traylor As we migrate from ANSI/TPI 1-2014 to ANSI/TPI 1-2022, it is important to discuss and be aware of Chapter 3 updates. These changes impact QC inspections and should be understood by your in-house QC inspector and your truss builders. The changes are in two categories in Chapter 3 — a... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 31
Automation is Here, and It Doesn’t Need a Supervisor to Nudge It Along Steve Shrader In an industry long defined by hard work and incremental improvement, a new chapter is being written. But not everyone seems to realize it. Some are still telling companies to squeeze more productivity out of crews by reorganizing work paths, tracking stopwatch data, and optimizing jobsite... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 48
MSR Workshop: Relax, Connect, Learn MSR Lumber Producers Council The MSR Workshop headed west to Idaho this spring to a resort destination that lived up to its reputation! The annual event hosted by the MSR Lumber Producers Council in late April welcomed 68 attendees, including five guests, to the Coeur d’Alene Resort for three days of networking,... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 96
Is Your Downstream Crew Still Solving Problems Created Upstream? Steve Shrader Too often, systems that claim to be “automated” still rely on people to direct the flow. That reliance on people rather than true automation means you’re still solving problems downstream that were created by things happening upstream. A picker is still compensating for a... Read More June 2025 Issue #17311 Page 46
Feed 2, 3, 4, or 5 Saws with the JAX Gantry Kathryn Pedde For the first time, a modern machine used in many other industries has proven itself in a truss plant. In other industries where it works in hundreds of plants, the JAX gantry transports tires, crates, and cases of Jack Daniels whiskey. In a truss plant, JAX moves 1 to 13 sticks of lumber from... Read More June 2025 Issue #17311 Page 60
Is Plate Substitution the Most Common Error By Confused Truss Builders? Glenn Traylor Generally speaking, ANSI/TPI 1 makes common sense and is very logical. However, there are several items that can be a little confusing because they seem to defy logic. When we upgrade lumber per ANSI/TPI 1 Section 3.4.2, we know that lumber strength needs to be maintained in order to meet the... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 39
Component Saws Are Messy Eaters! Edmond Lim, P.Eng. When you’ve got five or six 20” to 32” blades chewing through lumber simultaneously at even just 18 pieces a minute, you’re not just making a lot of truss parts—you’re creating a full-blown localized dust storm. So what do you do when you’ve got to... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 44
Optimizing Every Inch: Why Space Utilization Matters in Frame & Truss Manufacturing Ed Serrano Imagine a factory floor where every square foot contributes to efficiency and productivity. That’s the power of lean manufacturing: a philosophy centered on maximizing value and eliminating waste. In the fast-paced world of prefabricated frames and trusses, space optimization isn’t... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 62
Tariffs, Countervailing Duties, and More: Optimizing Production Requires Optimizing the Inputs to Production Valerie Hansen On/off tariffs, the pending hike in countervailing duties, and Section 232 National Security Investigation (which designates lumber as a “strategic good” on par with automobiles, steel, and aluminum) stalk the wood frame construction industry. Collectively and individually, these... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 112
Giant Kanban! Edmond Lim, P.Eng. Kanban systems are designed for “just in time” workflow to optimize production efficiency and inventory levels. The Enventek Lumber PickLine is essentially a “Giant Kanban System” designed to improve lumber handing and to efficiently cull lumber away from the saws. Did... Read More April 2025 Issue #17309 Page 46