Important Quality Checks During Each Stage of Truss Manufacturing Alpine Team Quality control starts before the first piece of lumber is set into motion. Every employee at each phase of component design and manufacturing plays a critical role to help avoid costly repairs, potential frustration, and additional workload. As an engineer that has seen many repairs, here are a... Read More December 2023 Issue #15293 Page 92
Should We Follow Lasers Blindly? Glenn Traylor When GPS systems first became available for personal cars, we started hearing stories about folks turning left onto a railroad track or following a cow trail through the valley to a dead end. In 2012, three Japanese tourists in Australia drove into the Pacific Ocean after their GPS told them to.... Read More November 2023 Issue #15292 Page 33
Design Connections: Investing in Your Success Goes Beyond Your Equipment Geordie Secord I’m sure we have all been guilty of being bowled over by the latest new and improved gadget, whether in our personal lives or in our company. A new coffee maker promises the best cup you’ve ever had, a new set of golf clubs promises to immediately shave strokes off your game, and the... Read More November 2023 Issue #15292 Page 90
How Do I Maintain Lumber Grade Qualifications When I Cut Off the Grade Stamp? Glenn Traylor The past twenty years have brought many changes to the Metal Plate Connected Wood Truss Industry. These changes require manufacturing to change too, as the entire process continues to evolve and mature. Here is one situation where changes in manufacturing are necessary. Not too long ago,... Read More October 2023 Issue #15291 Page 35
What Makes a Good Salesperson? Landon Boucher Some might say what makes a good salesperson is the results they deliver. In fact, I imagine this may be the most common response. I suppose I would have to agree, but I do think it matters greatly what results we are measuring. Are we merely considering revenue generated that can be directly... Read More October 2023 Issue #15291 Page 84
How Can We Understand Quality? Glenn Traylor How can we understand quality? September brings your chance to find out! At BCMC in Columbus last year, our Timber Products Inspection booth gave all attendees the chance to test their skills and acumen for Quality Assurance. This year at BCMC in Indianapolis, we’re holding the competition... Read More September 2023 Issue #15290 Page 33
Why is the Gaps Limitation So Important to Truss Fabrication? Glenn Traylor ANSI/TPI 1 is a practical guide to manufacturing metal plate connected wood truss. It considers rational expectations and reasonable manufacturing capabilities that help ensure a sound product. Due to the nature of wood, cutting equipment and processes gaps do occur. These gaps can cause... Read More August 2023 Issue #15289 Page 35
Are We Designing Our Components to Benefit Our Truss Builders and End Users? Glenn Traylor Many years ago, early in my career as a truss designer, I was interrupted by the production manager. He loudly entered my office with a piece of 2 x 12 and a circular saw and abruptly slammed both on top of my drafting table that was sporting a newly created truss layout. (We did not have... Read More July 2023 Issue #15288 Page 35
Are You Providing Enough Information to Avert Failures? Glenn Traylor Recently, when a building owner started getting leaks in the roof and noticed unusual variations in the ceiling, I was asked to do an inspection to determine the best way to correct a deflection problem. Upon inspection, it was very evident that the roof trusses had not been installed correctly... Read More June 2023 Issue #15287 Page 37
Should We Seal All Engineered Drawings? Glenn Traylor Recently, while conducting an ANSI/TPI audit, a splice caught my eye. When I investigated further, I realized that the bottom chord of the truss I was investigating had a very short, 2” chord segment. I immediately assumed the truss builders had cut a short block to make up for a miss-cut... Read More May 2023 Issue #15286 Page 37