Are Your Truss Builders Guilty of Plate Abuse?

From the office, the sound of the steady bam, bam of hammers is music to your ears – but did you know it could also be the sound of plate abuse?

Since the invention of the connector plate, the preferred method for initially seating the plate has been using a hammer. Often folks think, the bigger the better. That might not be acceptable though, so how do you tell?

When hammers are used to preplate or set the connector, it is extremely important that the plate teeth are embedded straight without bending the tooth. Because it’s practically impossible to avoid all tooth damage, the amount of hammer installation should be limited to what is absolutely necessary.

Take a close look at your pressed connector. If you can see ¼ of the length of the tooth flattened, then you have a folded tooth. Actually, you have two folded teeth – the one you see and the partner tooth that is folded back under the plate. In this photo, the connector teeth in the diagonal web are all compromised. None are capable of transferring any load.

So what is the solution for plate abuse?

1. Train your builders to use only the hammering necessary to facilitate the process.
2. If possible, set the plate on the leading edge of the press.
3. Let the gantry press do the majority of the work.

Remember, the floor machine or gantry is designed to press the connector in properly as long as the plate is not compromised or staked at each end preventing proper pressing.

So the next time you hear the bam of the hammer, check out your process and make sure that your plant is building the high quality products that you know you can produce.