Labor Tweaks Won’t Save Manufacturing—Automation Will Steve Shrader Manufacturing, in truss production, means transforming lumber and plates into engineered components through machinery, labor, and precise processes. In 2025, it’s more than labor—it’s automation. Some cling to the old beat, stacking bodies and tuning schedules as if headcounts... Read More April 2025 Issue #17309 Page 62
Custom Equipment for Any Project Marco Gagnon At Element Equipment, we pride ourselves in our custom machinery solutions. Since entering the market in 2021, we’ve made it our mission to look for additions to our equipment offerings that will add more automation to ease the pain of assembling building components. We are committed to... Read More April 2025 Issue #17309 Page 70
The Last Word: Material Handling, Saw to Table Joe Kannapell, PE What’s inside your home today, and what will be on top of your house in the future, was or will have been handled by Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). These are the small under-riding robots that carry all sorts of items from point A to B in plants or warehouses, eliminating manual... Read More April 2025 Issue #17309 Page 176
Home Building Technology, Part III: Overcoming the Prefab Stigma Joe Kannapell, PE Even though 500,000 prefab homes were built for World War II, builders were not committed to the prefabrication approach. But why not? These homes should have served as an entré to the future use of components by the hundreds of builders who constructed government housing in hundreds of... Read More March 2025 Issue #17308 Page 10
5 Reasons Why Your Wall Panel Production is Underwhelming Darrin Schramm Any given fall Sunday, we get to watch our favorite football team and, if we understand the sport, we can see what they do well and where they are lacking. Each game is full of statistics, and the statistics tell us where our team ranks in relation to previous games, other teams, past years, and... Read More March 2025 Issue #17308 Page 72
The Last Word: Home Depot’s Quest for the Pro Builder Joe Kannapell, PE A contract hauler drives in on a six-lane roadway, stops at predetermined locations, receives a full load of lumber and building supplies, and then heads out to a nearby jobsite. That driver has just passed through a warehouse that mimics the efficiency and abundant stocks of an Amazon.com... Read More March 2025 Issue #17308 Page 180
Home Building Technology, Part II: Mass Production Technology Joe Kannapell, PE While Sears had stolen the spotlight on precut technology, their lesser-known rival, Aladdin Homes, helped usher in prefabrication, but not initially. For many years, Aladdin fought the concept of pre-assembling parts of homes in their factory, asserting that their precut packages took... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 10
Benefit from a Wall Line Solution That Fits Your Business! Wendy Boyd When it comes to wall frame lines, they aren’t all made equally. At Spida Machinery, we pride ourselves on providing solutions that are comprehensive, innovative, and most importantly, designed for your manufacturing needs and budget. The beginning of the year is often a time to reflect... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 17
Home Building Technology, Part I: Wall Panel Beginnings Joe Kannapell, PE As we start 2025, we have surpassed the 125th year of offsite wall technology, so it seems fitting to return to the beginning and describe its early progression. Surprisingly, this includes the Ready-Frame® technology that is currently being marketed by Builders FirstSource, as well as the... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 10
Building on Better with Advanced Automation Casey Harless The beginning of a new year is a great time to consider optimizing your production line, and Stiles Machinery is here to help. Stiles has been at the forefront of the United States woodworking industry for over six decades, partnering with manufacturers to provide efficiency-focused solutions... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 70