CNC = CLT: Growing Mass Timber in Arkansas Steve Shrader In December 2019, Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation, the leading mass timber manufacturer in North America, announced the expansion of its operations into the United States, with a plant in Conway, Arkansas, set to open in mid-2021. The Canadian-based company, in which Walmart has made an... Read More June 2021 Issue #13263 Page 70
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XVIII: Automation Momentum Joe Kannapell We suppliers had to escape the bind that Jerry Koskovich’s automation portended. We had been chastened by our CMs’ excitement viewing his Auto Omni Saw at the 1988 BCMC. Then we were shocked shortly thereafter when one of our leading customers, Tom Nomeland at Superior Truss (now... Read More May 2021 Issue #13262 Page 10
Capitalizing on Efficiencies in Our New Normal Wendy Boyd It’s been some months now since most people have been talking about getting back to normal. But, many are looking to create their new normal, thinking on their feet, ready to pivot, working hard and imagining where the next landing place will be. Most are trying to decide how to... Read More May 2021 Issue #13262 Page 17
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XVII: Automation Takes Hold Joe Kannapell The future of automation was on display at the 1988 BCMC, but few of us recognized it. Two leading truss plant owners did, however: Lenny Sylk of Shelter Systems and Dick Rotto of Trussway. Lenny’s purchase of the automated saw encouraged others to follow suit. Dick demurred on the... Read More April 2021 Issue #13261 Page 10
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XVI: DePauw Decade Joe Kannapell As I stood in the small office waiting for the saw deposit check, the fax machine began running. I was stirred by the bold headline on the unfurling document, “…Timbermill’s Advantages Over Easy Set ...” Then I watched large bullet points cascading out of the machine. At... Read More March 2021 Issue #13260 Page 10
Genuine Business Partnerships Can Produce Amazing Results Ed Serrano “The team at Vekta was instrumental in the design of this system and were able to open our eyes to possibilities we didn’t know even existed. The finished product has not only met but exceeded our expectations. With the minimal footprint of the PackFeeder, the accuracy, speed and... Read More March 2021 Issue #13260 Page 65
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XV: Hex Heads Joe Kannapell A “hex” descended upon the component saw business at BCMC in 1981. Fortunately, this hex turned out to be a good “spell,” one that quickened the search for a machine that could cut any piece. Speed Cut, Inc. introduced the Timbermill, a 6-bladed (or hex-headed) solution... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 10
Ink Jet Printing — An Absolute Necessity for Every Panel Shop Cullen Ellis Being in this industry for the last 16 years, I’ve been inside many panel fabrication shops. The one thing they all have in common is the requirement to accurately cut and mark wall components which are then put together as a complete frame. The original and most simple way to achieve this... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 17
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XIV: Cutting Technology Preface Joe Kannapell Ten years after the Sanford Gantry stormed onto the scene, the DePauw Saw arrived without much fanfare. Their introductions said a lot about their inventors. Carroll Sanford was an ebullient architect, Art DePauw an unassuming machinist. If both men were alive today, they would relish seeing... Read More January 2021 Issue #13258 Page 10
Hazards with Some Advisements for New Investments Todd Drummond When looking for new opportunities for improvements in your operation, it is quite natural to ask for advisement from outside your company to give you a better perspective. Who you should trust to help you take your company to higher performance is not as clear cut as it may appear. Costly... Read More January 2021 Issue #13258 Page 45