For the last few weeks, I’ve been inundated with a barrage of emails with attached “invoices.” About 90% are caught by the spam filter, but that other 10% ends up in my inbox. I have no problem with simply pressing “delete” to rid myself of them, but there’s a...

Part I: Computerization Begins The arrival of the first computers 50 years ago signaled that truss design had come of age. And they came just in time. We urgently needed them to meet the growing demand for truss designs. But they didn’t come with experienced operators – in the...

Most people probably do not know that Hundegger USA was formed after Euclid Timber Frames, L.C. became the very FIRST Hundegger customer in North America. Hundegger was well known in the European market, but it was a distinct need in this continental market that brought German technology to the...

Computer-simulated product testing is being used increasingly in modern engineering and manufacturing because it provides a low-risk, time- and cost-efficient means of modeling system performance using a wide array of variables before a physical prototype has been created. The following article...

“When will our computer project(s) be finished?”, we are often asked. Even after 50 years of trying, there is no easy way to explain what it takes to get “done.” However, one of our industry’s finest leaders offered the best advice 40 years ago. “We’ve...

A continuing strong house construction scene means that the North American frame and truss industry and supporting supply chain are busy. Frame and truss manufacturing remains highly competitive, and top performing companies are paying even closer attention to automation, quality, precision,...

I was usually the voice on the other side of the phone or computer during my 13 years with WTCA/SBCA, but Ken Cloyd was a person I had the pleasure to meet face-to-face. And believe me, you don’t forget meeting Kenny. Even though it’s been nearly two years since we’ve had an...

So far in this series, I’ve talked about how job descriptions have evolved as the industry has matured. Along the way, I’ve emphasized that the objective is not to impress you with the advanced power of the servo—it is to impress upon you the importance of the journey of...

Part Two: The Turbulent 1980s For CMs to prosper in the 1980s, after surviving the “double-bubble” of apartment building in the 1970s, required great tenacity and innovation. Projects grew in size and complexity. Developers gained momentum and began employing scheduling and...

Last month, I talked about how things were “back in the day” as compared to now. The Servo Revolution is upon us, and we must all work to keep up with technology. Modern technology drives our businesses, both literally and figuratively. Even so, technology is not the sole element in...