Joe Kannapell

The Last Word: Floor Machine Fiascos

Joe Kannapell

Before leaving the subject of floor trusses, two machines deserve special attention, the Tiger Cat and the Structur-Span. Both included features that were way ahead of their 1970s provenance and both were markedly faster than even present-day machines. Both plated the truss with a single pass,...

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February 2024
Issue #16295
Page 136
Wendy Boyd

Welcoming a New Year of Partnerships with Spida

Wendy Boyd

As I sit here thinking about what the New Year will bring for Spida Machinery, I send our warmest gratitude to those customers who became our machinery partners in 2023. I can now bid farewell the challenges of the past 12 months and welcome the promise of a fresh start and new opportunities in...

#16294 Cover image
January 2024
Issue #16294
Page 17
Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

Inspiration to Feed The Beast! in 2024

Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

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...

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January 2024
Issue #16294
Page 42
Joe Kannapell

Floor Truss Technology, Part VII: The Devil is in Those Details

Joe Kannapell

Building intricate floor truss details may bedevil a robot, but they provide the inherent advantage of floor trusses over I-joists. There are also things that floor trusses can do that I-joists cannot. And they facilitate the most efficient use of materials. Visiting an I-joist cut-off yard...

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December 2023
Issue #15293
Page 10
Wendy Boyd

A Year of Building onto the Spida Family

Wendy Boyd

Christmas has come around so quickly – where has the year gone? Many great things have happened for Spida in 2023, so before we celebrate another Christmas and New Year, let’s reflect on our journey this year. The start of 2023 was all about planning for the year and executing...

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December 2023
Issue #15293
Page 17
Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

One Size Can Fit All

Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

2023 was quite a year for Feeding the Beast of all sizes. That is a testament to the simplicity, utility, and robustness of our Process Organization Technology. The RetroC as a standalone auto-feeding component saw can anchor truss plants of all sizes from a single truss jig to over 10 jigs. A...

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December 2023
Issue #15293
Page 38
Joe Halteman

WTS and HoD Team Up to Bring Innovation to the Industry

Joe Halteman

Wood Tech Systems (WTS) has traveled thousands of miles and spent several years researching robotics while trying to find the best fit for the North American wood component industry. There have been many challenges in our industry when it comes to integrating robotics, but the biggest one in my...

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December 2023
Issue #15293
Page 50
Joe Kannapell

The Last Word: The Concrete Truss Machine

Joe Kannapell

New inventions may fade away, but most provide valuable lessons, like the concrete truss machine. Not many of these were built, but they seemed to Cal Jureit to be the logical match for his new truss plate, and they set the course for all his future machines. Jureit had to have been...

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December 2023
Issue #15293
Page 134
Joe Kannapell

Floor Truss Technology, Part VI: The Last Round of Floor Machines

Joe Kannapell

Our contemporary floor machines were ready for the resurgence of demand that has followed the pandemic. These new models had many fascinating features, accumulated from the multiple iterations before them. They were more durable, they lessened labor, and they built a quality truss, embedding all...

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November 2023
Issue #15292
Page 10
Wendy Boyd

From Kiwis to Gators, Spida is Making Big Moves

Wendy Boyd

As we get ready to make our move to the new Spida factory in Jacksonville, Florida, a few things come to mind in terms of making the move as easy as possible and what the move means to all of us on the Spida Team. Firstly, we have stock on hand, in Shelbyville, that would be better off...

#15292 Cover image
November 2023
Issue #15292
Page 16
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