BCMC Reflection and Christmas Cheer! Wendy Boyd As we head towards Christmas and think about a well-earned break, I can’t help but reflect on the work done in 2021 and the wonderful support received from our customer/partners. Spida again demonstrated our machinery at BCMC – and were embraced by our customers and new friends to... Read More December 2021 Issue #13269 Page 19
How to Lose Millions of Profits with Linear Saws and Two-Person Crews Todd Drummond There has been a big push to reduce labor. In response, more than one equipment vendor has suggested that component manufacturers (CM) should purchase linear saws directly tied to roof gantry tables. The idea is simple: fewer crew members and more automation to increase efficiencies and reduce... Read More December 2021 Issue #13269 Page 35
Complete Management Solutions – Scheduling Tracy Roe At Eagle Metal, our TrueBuild® software gives you an advantage in efficiency. Our Job Management software gives our customers the flexibility they need to build more. We offer fabricators the options they need to make scheduling as simple or as complex as they want it to be. From individual... Read More December 2021 Issue #13269 Page 52
When You’re Ready to Diversify, Call Triad TRIAD / Merrick Machine Company Team Most component manufacturers know Triad because of framing, squaring, and sheathing tables. If you attended the BCMC show in Omaha in October, you also saw our newest innovation—the ProFusion Sheathing Bridge with Autonomous Operation. But do you know all of the products that Triad/Merrick... Read More December 2021 Issue #13269 Page 68
Whatever Happened to Team or School Pride? Are Companies Missing the Boat? As a recruiter, I talk to a lot of employers. Not just to get job orders and discuss candidates, I want to hear about the challenges they have with retaining employees in the long term and how they address those challenges. Because I look at both sides of the... Read More December 2021 Issue #13269 Page 82
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XXIV: Opposites Attract Joe Kannapell A David and Goliath struggle was brewing over the linear saw, and it was ready to boil over at BCMC in October 2002. It would pit Jim Urmson, a lone mechanic who was pioneering his first machine, against Alpine’s engineers, who had launched multiple winning machines. Though Urmson had... Read More November 2021 Issue #13268 Page 10
Connecting and Learning in Omaha Tracy Roe BCMC 2021 was held last month in Omaha and we at Eagle Metal have to say — thank you to everyone who attended the show! Although we had only missed one year due to the pandemic, the gap since the last time we were able to gather with everyone seemed much longer than that. But thanks to all... Read More November 2021 Issue #13268 Page 58
Manufacturing Insights to Power Your Team Douglas Krauss Making performance visible and easily tracked powers your team members with the knowledge of achievements and areas for improvement. I’ve spent my career working in a variety of manufacturing roles. Here’s what I’ve learned: Knowledge is key. I believe it’s crucial... Read More November 2021 Issue #13268 Page 64
What’s Next in the Ever-Changing Designer Hiring Saga? When the Great Recession took away a generation of new designers between 2007 and 2012, hiring basic and intermediate level designers became an issue. The average years of experience for designers rose from 8 to 12. Designers who held on through the downturn were mostly re-hired in... Read More November 2021 Issue #13268 Page 86
The Last Word: Witnessing Integration at BCMC Joe Kannapell At each BCMC, we’re able to see the evolution of our industry in real time. Right now, we’re seeing how to integrate machines that used to operate independently. These machines, the saws and the tables, have had sixty years of improvements, and a billion dollars of CM investments.... Read More November 2021 Issue #13268 Page 134