Handling studs and plates to build walls is easy, but handling oversized sheets of OSB and sheathed wall panels is not. Fortunately, two inventors in the Midwest have lightened the load. Automated Sheathing Saw: Since he began his career at Monet DeSauw 30 years ago, David Ohnesorge has been...

With 2024 coming to a close, we look at the year that was and the years to come in equipment development. This past year saw our company bring out two new pieces of equipment in its product offering. These pieces were added to a line-up that already included our successful BCE-Gantry, BCE-Finish...

If you’re in the business of roof truss manufacturing and you’re looking at ways to increase your market share, it’s time to consider adding floor truss manufacturing to your operation. Recent research shows that the global floor truss market is anticipated to rise at a...

The photo shows a 2 x 4 truss with an ANSI/TPI 1 non-compliance issue. This is something that never should have happened! Can you spot the problem? [For photo, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] If you shouted, “a missing connector,” then give yourself a gold star! As I was ranking...

Catching and stacking lumber can make or break productivity at the truss build tables. In an imaginary world where money is irrelevant, a linear saw in front of each automated truss jig would be ideal, cutting pieces in order from, let’s say, 60 ft finger-joined lumber, and robots grabbing...

To meet the demands of modern construction, lumber frame and truss manufacturers are embracing automation solutions. The automation revolution started with CNC linear saws for cutting and has now extended to the infeed of raw materials, the placing and nailing of plates, and even stacking...

Many years ago, early in my career as a truss designer, I was interrupted by the production manager. He loudly entered my office with a piece of 2 x 12 and a circular saw and abruptly slammed both on top of my drafting table that was sporting a newly created truss layout. (We did not have...

Years ago, truss design was focused on a simple calculation that determined the final forces that would be considered to be imparted on a truss component. These simple forces were used to determine the design. Things like snow, wind, and building materials weights were generally the only...

By all accounts, it was a bumper year for BCMC 2022, and we were glad to see the significant increase in interest from not only attendees but also exhibitors across the industry. We appreciated the number of enquiries we had on our Direct Delivery Solution and there was significant interest...

Our teams from Vekta USA and Vekta Australia are excited to see everyone at BCMC 2022 in Columbus! This year, you’ll be able to recognize us by our Akubra hats, too. At the show, we’ll be ready to talk about all that Vekta has to offer your business. This year, we’ll have a...