As we all plan for a productive and profitable 2024, I would like to celebrate three 2023 Feed The Beast success stories: a multi-million-dollar plant expansion, a complete saw shop makeover, and a plant renovation. All three of these projects implemented some or all of Enventek’s “out-of-the-box” Process Organization Technology to produce more trusses with a significant reduction in operating costs. Processes were simplified and standardized as part of the in-line or just-in-time workflow implemented. Just-in-time workflow is a gutsy move, and yes it requires total trust and confidence from the top down, but more importantly the systems and machinery must be proven and robust enough to be quickly brought back online if and when there is a glitch. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.]
A Multi-Million-Dollar Plant Expansion
Success breeds success, and the best way to get over the fear factor of just-in-time production is to tour and talk to truss plants that are using Enventek’s Process Organization Technology. Travis White, VP of Truss Operations for Tindell’s Lumber Co., did just that and extensively researched the best ROI for their multi-million-dollar expansion. Their major expansion included re-tooling with a fully loaded Enventek RetroC auto-feeding component saw paired with the Enventek Lumber Pickline. White and Team Tindell elected to go with the Enventek RetroC, over larger name brands, as it is uniquely the only auto-feeding component saw and cuts collated parts that automatically fill paired SpeedCatch carts without the need of a catcher on the back of the saw. The carts are then delivered to one of the ten roof building stations that incorporate the new MiTek Wizard automated tables for increased efficiency. Each table workstation has dual 75” TVs that display the Enventek PlantOne color-coded truss setup and build information, eliminating paperwork and improving efficiency. With the completion of this renovation, forklifts are no longer required to deliver parts and pieces to the build stations, saving valuable time and money. Now the forklift is only needed to load the PickLine with full bundles of lumber and then after, the trusses are fully assembled and ready to be loaded onto a truck. For more on this story, see my July article, “Anticipation and Optimization.”
A Complete Saw Shop Makeover
As originally reported in May 2023, “Incremental CapEx and Accelerated ROI”, linear saws and material in-feed was moved from the building interior to the exterior wall in this case. The resulting interior plant space was reclaimed with the implementation of a new floor truss line. The second PickLine was completed by August 2023 and the two linear saws are essentially being fed by one (1) picker and a less-than-part-time forklift just to replenish bunks of lumber on the PickLine, resulting in significant operating cost savings. The sawing output of each linear saw has increased 30% as a result. Mission accomplished!
Renovate with a Fully Loaded RetroC
The beauty of an exterior Lumber PickLine is that it can be implemented without the need of a building addition, resulting in increased sawing output with significant operating cost savings and better collated lumber at the truss tables to boot! It’s a win-win-win. Did you know that a fully loaded RetroC with SpeedCatch has a 50% smaller footprint than manual lumber catching/stacking behind a saw? That means that a RetroC with SpeedCatch can be literally shoe-horned in to make the best use of plant space, once again eliminating the need for a plant expansion by reclaiming existing space.
It’s not just another hole in the wall with a SmartConveyor and a Lumber PickLine. This RetroC renovation required a custom wall cutout with the RetroC snug against existing columns to “make the RetroC fit” to reclaim previously unused factory space.
The SpeedCatch cart path only takes up 5 ft behind the RetroC. Carts are virtual conveyors on steroids, further enhanced with large quantities of cut pieces. Carts enable flexible batch flow without the floor space restrictions of fixed conveyors. With carts, the floor space ebbs and flows from full to empty. For more on this story, see also my October article, “Pick, Cut, Build—Talking Shop at BCMC 2023.”
When you’re ready to Feed Your Beast and see these efficient and effective systems for yourself, let us know! Inside and out, LimTek Process Organization Technology will help you squeeze out more truss production and deliver quality trusses with shorter lead times to better service your customers by organizing your truss fabrication processes to maximize your investment in automation. https://limteksolutions.com/#solutions