Sixty Years of Machines, Part V: The Gantry Gains Ground Joe Kannapell The roller gantry had two major obstacles to clear in the 1970s, both erected by its inventor, Carroll Sanford. Both were delineated in hard-to-evade U.S. Patents. The first was on the machine itself and the second was on the connector plate that it required. The simplicity of the gantry machine... Read More April 2020 Issue #12249 Page 10
Responding to Our Changing World Wendy Boyd Corona Virus or Covid-19 has undoubtedly turned the world in which we live, work, socialize, learn, and play upside down. As I write this in the last week of March, we are starting a 4-week shutdown of our manufacturing facility in New Zealand and a 2-week shutdown period for both Indianapolis... Read More April 2020 Issue #12249 Page 17
Sixty Years of Machines, Part IV: Early Roller Gantries Joe Kannapell The roller gantry dominates today’s truss production, but it hasn’t always done so, despite the fact that it hasn’t changed much over sixty years. The reason for its relatively slow ascendency is found in its origins and in its adaptations over this period. And along the way... Read More March 2020 Issue #12248 Page 10
BCMC Planning – The Great Debate on Saws Wendy Boyd We’re now starting the daunting but exciting task of planning for the next Building Component Manufacturers Conference, being held September 22–25 in Indianapolis, IN. As we gear up, we ask ourselves – what is the most important piece of equipment to show, what is the message... Read More March 2020 Issue #12248 Page 17
Taking the Plunge Kallen Hair 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... Read More March 2020 Issue #12248 Page 47
Millennials Creating a Modular Housing Evolution Gary Fleisher Contrary to what we Boomers think, Millennials are no longer children. Born between 1981 and 1996, they are in their twenties, or even late thirties, and already entering the single family home market. Millennials will outnumber Baby Boomers in 2020 and they’re a market segment... Read More March 2020 Issue #12248 Page 105
Sixty Years of Machines, Part III: Table Presses Joe Kannapell More CMs are “doing it right the first time” via vertical presses, taking advantage of their flexibility and the quality of their production. But few realize that some of the most successful plants in our industry started with table presses. These presses have always had the... Read More February 2020 Issue #12247 Page 10
Better Tools for Wall Panel Design Tracy Roe At Eagle Metal, our business has been built on relationships. We pride ourselves in listening and responding to the needs of our customers. Having served the component industry for more than 30 years with high quality connector plates, structural design software, engineering services, and... Read More February 2020 Issue #12247 Page 62
Maximizing Wall Panel Design Productivity and Accuracy John Croll As a wall panel designer, there are two critical performance metrics to hit: efficiency and accuracy. In a competitive component manufacturing landscape, maximizing designer productivity on both quotes and orders is paramount to running a successful business. Quickly generating an... Read More February 2020 Issue #12247 Page 68
The Last Word: Vertical Presses — The World Record Joe Kannapell Forty years ago, a frenetic fray raged over the World Record for truss production. While CMs across the country competed, the two main players, Littfin in Minnesota and Dickie Vail in Louisiana, produced numbers that may never be equaled. The massive trophy, displayed today in the lobby of... Read More February 2020 Issue #12247 Page 133