Making Your PackFeeder Dream a Reality Ed Serrano Packfeeders. Bunk Feeders. Call it what you will, but if you’re like most sites, the idea is nothing more than a pipe dream that quickly disappears once you start to ponder where you might put it. To get any real benefit from them, the perception is that the system you need to carry a lot... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 43
Rethinking a Linear Saw Linked to Two Workstations Todd Drummond It seems some people are upset that I made such a public statement with my latest advertisement – “Pairing a Linear Saw with Two Workstations with Each Having Two Assemblers will Cost Your Company Millions in Lost Net Profits.” Specifically, I’m talking about linking... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 48
Better Tools for Intuitive Wall Panel Design Tracy Roe This month, we’re continuing our series on better tools for wall panel design and exploring our Break/Review process. Walls are just walls until they are broken into PANELS. Similar to the way trusses are just profiles until they are designed, the same is true for walls. Beginning with... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 60
Six Steps of Troubleshooting Methodology and Why It’s Important Brian Zengel As technology advances year after year and Alpine equipment becomes more sophisticated, it’s critical to understand some best practices when troubleshooting equipment. In a perfect world, equipment would never break down and therefore never be a need to troubleshoot. Unfortunately, we... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 64
The Hiring Zone: Did Someone Shout Fire? If you watch the 24/7 news cycle, then you may think that the world as we know it is coming to an end. Yes, COVID-19 is affecting everyone, everywhere, but to different extents. If you are in a non-essential business, you’re hurting. Some component manufacturers in locked down states are... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 88
Innovations in Modular Construction Not For Everyone Gary Fleisher The 2008 housing recession ended with many East Coast modular home factories closed forever along with scores of independent new home builders, both site and modular. There were no buyers looking for new custom homes. Then in 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the United States... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 92
Building Safety Month Takes on New Meaning for Everyone Robert Glowinski Many of us have been spending extra time at home the past few months, bringing new meaning to May as Building Safety Month. This year’s theme was aptly chosen and is “Safer Buildings, Safer Communities, Safer World.” Ensuring that local building codes are up-to-date with the... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 100
Lumber Briefs: Softwood Framing Lumber Market Forecast Matt Layman LLG Crystal Ball Says Speedy Recovery I do not forecast the lumber market, rather how and when folks who buy, sell, and produce lumber will act or react. As for the economy and its recovery from this pandemic disruption, I only need to remember and expect one thing. Economies are consumer... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 102
Hard Decisions… As I have been following up with our employers on jobs that became active before COVID-19 restrictions, they have been more optimistic than pessimistic when it comes to hiring for 2020…until recently. Over the last week of April, my largest accounts have begun to posture as if it was... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 105
Build Change: Seismic Safety in the Age of COVID-19 Tim Hart, S.E. With the growing danger of natural disasters, the race is on to expand access to programs that safeguard lives from the human-made danger of poorly built housing. With the common mission of building safer, stronger structures, Build Change and Simpson Strong-Tie have partnered for the Simpson... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 114