Dealing with the industry’s long machinery lead times actually has given everyone an opportunity to get creative, to stop procrastinating, and to complete those naggingly important process improvement projects — even though that’s easier said than done! This month, I am expounding on the incremental CapEx theme of my articles of October 2020 “Process Organization for Existing Truss Plants,” September 2022 “Incremental CapEx ROI and Plant Tours,” and last month's April 2023 “A Tailor-Made Lumber Picking Solution.”
Shown on the satellite image is a two-phase incremental CapEx project not only designed to maintain Roof Truss production but also to add a Floor Truss line during the process improvement phases. [For all images, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] The addition of a Double Lumber PickLine will result in increased cut parts, better organization of cut lumber at the build tables, and reduced operating costs without having to add a building addition, hence the accelerated ROI.
Phase One, which was completed just last month, entailed the relocation of a linear saw, “ALS2,” from inside the building to the outside wall beside another existing linear saw, “ALS1.” ALS1 also had to be shifted slightly to accommodate 20 ft long boards on the Double Lumber PickLine which will be installed in August during Phase Two.
ALS1 behind Door #1 and ALS2 behind Door #2 shown on the right in the photo will still be fed with forklift lumber picking in the meantime from the “Dense Lumber Storage” shown on the left. When Phase Two is completed, a Double Lumber PickLine will run down the middle of the existing yard and the truck path will be along the left side of the PickLine. Lumber from the Double PickLine will travel effortlessly along 32 ft conveyors to feed the two linear saws.
The second photo shows how ALS2 is taking up potential production space. By moving it from the middle of the building to an outside wall, we’ll reclaim the space and add to our ROI. Moreover, adding a Floor Truss line to the existing factory space immediately accelerates the ROI without the added cost of a building addition nor the hassle and delay of obtaining building and electrical permits.
Part of Phase One is modifying both ALS1 and ALS2 to a “Z pattern” of front in-feed from the PickLine and rear out-feed of cut lumber (see third and fourth photos).
Stay tuned for “After” photos, following Phase Two scheduled for August 2023.
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