Our Article Library

This month’s article returns to a topic begun last month in “Inside Early Truss Design”: the movement of design technology from the drafting board to the computer. During this period, the only tools available were engineering theory and painstaking manual work. Specialized...

The question posed in the title, “are you a clicker or a stickler,” encourages you to examine just how apt you are to “click through” the steps in front of you versus carefully reviewing each item. Moreover, you should ask – are people in my organization paying...

Thank you to everyone who visited our booth at this year’s Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) in Columbus, OH. Our booth transformed into a component manufacturer’s shop floor, showcasing how MiTek’s connected ecosystem of automation, software, engineering, and...

There is a quiet transformation happening in the management offices of North American truss plants. When owners and general managers audit their design rooms, they usually look through a single tactical lens: Today. On paper, the immediate challenge seems straightforward. You scan the queue, see...

The American Wood Council (AWC) has a new edition of the Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) on the shelf. The 2027 edition cleared its final hurdle, earning approval as an American National Standard from ANSI and a spot in the 2027 I-Codes. For engineers working in high-wind...

Given the recent, unexpected passing of John “Chip” Dean, I thought it only right to begin this new series on Truss Design Technology with reflections I collected from him. Three years ago, knowing Chip’s background as an iconic truss designer and pioneer in our industry, I...

Do you know that you should never remove your grade stamps throughout the manufacturing process? The old joke, “can I be arrested for removing a mattress tag?”, is alive and well on the internet. The threatening language still confounds the naive. But, if you’ve lawfully...

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Alpine will showcase the latest innovations helping shape the future of component manufacturing at the Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) and Framers Summit (FS), September 14–18, 2026 in Columbus, OH. At booth #845, attendees can...

There is a persistent bottleneck in North American truss plants. As operations expand, the need for a dedicated Design Manager becomes critical. Owners and general managers naturally turn to their top-producing Senior Designer, offering them a promotion to lead the department. Yet, increasingly,...

The term “audit” generally induces visions of tax audits. You imagine endless questions and boxes of records, as you attempt to produce documentation to defend what you’ve done. Importantly though, these visions are not what should come to mind when you think of a quality...