One of the many realities of living in the upper Midwest is dealing with the cold and icy conditions of its sometimes perilous winter. So you can imagine as an Australian native, where the temperature rarely drops below 32° (or 0°C for the rest of the world), this was quite the...

It was June 1982 and The Clash released the hit song, “Should I Stay or Should I Go,”— now it’s October 2019 and once again you find yourself asking, should I stay or should I go to the BCMC in Columbus, Ohio. As you’re humming that song for the rest of this...

The acquisition of Square 1 Design solidifies Spida Machinery’s position at the apex of machinery suppliers for the Building Components industry. Globally positioned to supply machinery around the world, our equipment profile includes options for all component manufacturers—from...

Just a couple of years ago, I went back to the commercial modular/classroom/mobile office plant where I had my first GM job in the ’80s. I was 27 then, am much older now, but one thing hasn’t changed much, technology. The stations had the same kind of equipment, home build when...

Finally, from top to bottom, the building industry is moving to panelize. National builders, like Pulte, are mandating it. Local building supply yards, like 84 Lumber’s, are building them in backyard sheds. And in between, BMC and BFS are shipping knocked-down versions. We laid the...

We started with our foundation, floor truss equipment. Then we went up to roof truss production equipment. Now, it’s time to frame our project with walls. Each month as I visit manufacturers’ websites, I am amazed at all of the equipment available within our industry....

This year’s Show, some 45 years after my first, brought some amazing revelations. The most awesome sight was an actual working truss plant on the Show floor. The most intriguing experience was being transported inside a robotic plant. And, the most welcome sounds were good economic...

There are many methods that are employed to help insure proper plate placement. Perhaps no technology has had a greater impact than ink jetting truss components with plate size and location. Ink jetting plate data can help you reduce necessary plate sizes resulting in plate cost reductions....

The long overdue rebirth of domestic wall panel technology is finally upon us, as U.S. manufacturers have begun to innovate. For the last 30 years, they ceded the upper end of the market to the Europeans, and focused on manual framing and sheathing solutions. For the last 10 years, they have...

The differences between high density attached and tract style detached housing extend to the shop floor. Though truss designs may be similar, the project size, location and degree of repetition differs, influencing unit labor costs and material requirements. High density means “maximum...