Glenn Traylor

Are You Sawing Smarter, Not Harder?

Glenn Traylor

Do you prefer using a linear saw or a component saw? Both saws can cut lumber cleanly, so other factors need to be considered, especially when batching your cutting. Often, batching decisions are made solely on cutting quantity. While this is a very important factor, the decision is more...

#18324 Cover image
July 2026
Issue #18324
Page 19
Kathryn Pedde

Automating Lumberyards with JAX-XL

Kathryn Pedde

When one of the largest truss companies came to see JAX The Wood Retriever picking for three saws, they asked, “Why not five saws?” Watching our one gantry doing a good job, it became obvious that the JAX system could operate with more than one JAX gantry, like a roof truss...

#18324 Cover image
July 2026
Issue #18324
Page 81
Simpson Strong-Tie Staff

BCMC 2026 Preview: Equipment Solutions from Simpson Strong-Tie

Simpson Strong-Tie Staff

The 2026 Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) is just around the corner. Our team is eager to present the latest innovations at our booth this year, including cutting-edge equipment, software, and services. This year, we are proud to feature a range of advanced saws, including...

#18324 Cover image
July 2026
Issue #18324
Page 151
Wendy Boyd

From Blade to Data: Can Cutting Become a Measurable, Optimized System?

Wendy Boyd

Walk into most structural component manufacturing facilities across North America and you’ll see a familiar contrast: highly sophisticated design software upstream, increasingly automated assembly downstream — and somewhere in the middle, cutting processes that still rely heavily on...

#18322 Cover image
May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 29
Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

Dump and Chase is Just-in-Time

Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

In hockey, “Dump and Chase” is highly effective depending on how deep the puck is dumped into the opposing team’s defensive zone, and how hard the dumping team will chase and fight to get back possession of the puck. The strategy is to physically punish the defending team and...

#18322 Cover image
May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 58
ROGworx Team

Come Meet the ROGworx Badger

ROGworx Team

We know how great the Badger EWP Processing Center is, and now you can come see it in action too. We’re pleased to offer LIVE demos in Emporia, VA, Lavonia, GA, and Columbia, MO. Just contact us to schedule a tour. Here are a few reasons why you should check it out: The Badger...

#18322 Cover image
May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 67
Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

Catch the Lumber, Then Smell the Roses

Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

I’ve been to Boston a few times, but like most business and installation trips, it usually goes the same way: fly into the airport, drive a few hours, get the work done, and head straight back home. There’s never any time to actually pause and “stop to smell the...

#18321 Cover image
April 2026
Issue #18321
Page 40
Joe Kannapell, PE

The Last Word: Celebrating and Remembering Jerry Koskovich

Joe Kannapell, PE

Jerry Koskovich, inventor of the first robotically controlled truss equipment, passed away March 17, 2026. Jerry was a singularly gifted entrepreneur who started from scratch in the truss industry as a TPI QC inspector in Minnesota in 1973. While doing his inspections on the shop floor in many...

#18321 Cover image
April 2026
Issue #18321
Page 186
Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

Automation for Greenfield OR Retrofit Truss Plants

Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

For inspiration to Feed the Beast! in 2026, the mandate is clear to automate, however, the path to automation looks different depending on your starting point. Let’s compare two standout 2025 LimTek installations—a greenfield plant and a modernizing retrofit—to see how...

#18320 Cover image
March 2026
Issue #18320
Page 36
Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

Polar Vortex? A PickLine Works Better in the Snow!

Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

Whether you’re facing a Polar Vortex, a Snowmageddon, or just another pending storm, a wintry winter forecast can strike fear in anyone. But the good news is that a Lumber PickLine will make it even easier for you to cope with these tricky situations. [For all photos, See PDF or View...

#18319 Cover image
February 2026
Issue #18319
Page 38
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