Sixty Years of Machines, Part XXI: Rebirth of the Linear Saw Joe Kannapell Entering the new Millennium, the linear fed saw needed to be reborn. Though CMs had boosted productivity with bolted-on improvements to their Metra-Cut type saws, they still couldn’t keep up with automated component saws. Yet they remained an essential part of the saw shop, even though... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 10
Building a Reputation for Reliability with Full Support Cullen Ellis Working in our industry in several different roles and being around equipment for a long time now, I have seen what gets a piece of machinery a good reputation – it’s reliability. I have lost count of the number of times I have been talking to someone about the old Klaisler... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 19
Reliable and Profitable Incentive Programs, Scheduling, and Pricing Todd Drummond Suppose you want an effective incentive program that improves productivity, saves your company labor cost, and rewards your most valued production crews with additional wages. Perhaps you also want to improve the accuracy of your production scheduling that allows for a proper understanding of... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 32
The 3D Model Everyone Can Access Tracy Roe Information is the key to almost everything. In our lives and in our jobs, we rely on obtaining pertinent and accurate details so that we can make informed decisions. In our industry, we are heavily reliant on information and details from each customer, whether they are a homeowner, a building... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 52
A New Invention for Working Smarter Leonard Hain When people ask me what my profession is, I say that I’m an inventor. Inventing machines and equipment to improve production and remove bottlenecks has been my focus for decades. Now, I’m pleased to debut a new piece of equipment – the Stud Driller. Save Time, Labor, and... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 57
Upgrade Your Plant with Optimizing Equipment Edmond Lim, P.Eng. Every year, I assist with, on average, 20 plant upgrades. Although each one is unique, they have certain things in common. Most importantly, these component manufacturers have agreed that they want to capture greater efficiencies and maximize their production with customized and optimized best... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 64
Do You Know This Industry Trivia? Chris Scott The Olympics are underway, football is around the corner, and that means trade show season is about to begin. Everyone loves a good competition on sports trivia, so why not one on industry trivia? It’s time to test your industry knowledge! Who invented the first metal truss connector... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 71
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XX: Cyber Success Joe Kannapell Before the Cyber Saw was introduced, I saw its PLC “brain” control the machines on a GM assembly line. From the conference room at General Electric’s PLC factory, I was able to watch a live display of the automation systems it powered. While most were “Greek” to me,... Read More July 2021 Issue #13264 Page 10
The Benefit of Spida’s Lumber Optimization Sean Hubbard As the lumber commodity remains exponentially higher than the previous 5 years, we all question the sanity behind the market. We also ask ourselves: how can we remain competitive within our own markets? Lumber optimization begins at the forestry level, managing the plantations for 40 years or... Read More July 2021 Issue #13264 Page 19
CM Equipment Purchasing Do’s and Don’ts Todd Drummond Understanding the do’s and don’ts for component manufacturing (CM) equipment purchasing (wood trusses and wall panels) can save or waste your company 100’s of thousands of dollars at the time of purchase and long after. Everyone knows the building economy is on fire, so it... Read More July 2021 Issue #13264 Page 33