Wall Panel Technology, Part VII: A Deeper Dive into Automation Joe Kannapell Toll Brothers imported an automated panel line commensurate with their luxurious homes, or so they expected. Perhaps because the European economy was ailing in the early 1990s, Randek from Sweden, like the Makron company from Finland before them, offered Toll an excellent deal. But Randek was an... Read More October 2024 Issue #16303 Page 10
Wall Panel Technology, Part VI: Panel Equipment Innovations Joe Kannapell As automation and robotics are increasingly embraced, it makes sense to review examples of successful implementations from the pioneers of past systems. Interestingly, the first successful fully automated component assembly in the U.S. involved wall panels rather than trusses. However, in many... Read More September 2024 Issue #16302 Page 10
Experience High Output Roof Truss Production with a Roller Plant Wendy Boyd Our robust Roller Plant streamlines the assembly of roof trusses – combining technology, precision, and efficiency to produce high quality trusses! Suitable for any roof truss factory, our Roller Plant is powerful, fast, accurate, and simple to operate with production numbers that will... Read More September 2024 Issue #16302 Page 17
Transform Your Production With Panels Plus Panels Plus Team Is downtime affecting your production efficiency and holding you back from reaching your full potential? At Panels Plus, we’re passionate about transforming the panelizing industry with durable and innovative solutions that boost efficiency and streamline operations. As a leading provider... Read More September 2024 Issue #16302 Page 59
Insights and Innovations in Component Manufacturing Greg Bates The component manufacturing industry, specifically of roof and floor trusses, is undergoing significant transformation. To delve deeper, we spoke with Todd Drummond, a seasoned expert and long-time consultant with extensive knowledge and experience in the field of truss manufacturing. You can... Read More September 2024 Issue #16302 Page 88
The Last Word: Material Handling Bunk-to-Table Joe Kannapell Adding the last links to the chain of material handling – bunk-to-saw and saw-to-table – is intricately executed by Hundegger at Sunpro’s major expansion in St. George, Utah – and it’s cool! Yes, here in the northeastern-most part of the Mojave Desert, the Clyde... Read More September 2024 Issue #16302 Page 154
Wall Panel Technology, Part V: Whole House Evolution Joe Kannapell The dream of having a single person model an entire structure was admirable, but developing the software to do that turned into a decade-long struggle. Five years ago, I chronicled the development saga in my series on Fifty Years of Truss Design, Parts XI – XV. As the story told, the... Read More August 2024 Issue #16301 Page 10
Spida’s Jacksonville Open House Wendy Boyd What an amazing week we had in July—we had the privilege of welcoming a number of suppliers and fabricators to our Jacksonville Open Days! This was a tremendous way to welcome everyone to our new facility in Jacksonville, FL. [For photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] We really... Read More August 2024 Issue #16301 Page 17
Design Connections: Making the Most of Mass Timber Geordie Secord Undoubtedly you’ve seen many articles talking about mass timber, but you may not be very familiar with what products are included and some of their applications. In speaking with some light-frame component manufacturers over recent years, I have heard many of them mention that they are, or... Read More August 2024 Issue #16301 Page 76
The Last Word: The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Big Truss Plants Joe Kannapell The way it was – In 1986, as Dick Rotto embarked on a nationwide expansion, he admonished his salesforce, “Trussway will never have another plant as big as our Houston location.” Rotto’s warning came at a time when there wasn’t enough business in the entire state of... Read More August 2024 Issue #16301 Page 154