Three Options, No Waiting – The RetroC Auto-Feeding SmartConveyor Edmond Lim, P.Eng. More than 120 proud RetroC owners will tell you that the auto-feeding of lumber is the most powerful feature of the Enventek RetroC automated component saw. Auto-feeding is made possible with Enventek’s SmartConveyor integrated with the RetroC’s clamping material feed chains. To... Read More October 2025 Issue #17315 Page 38
Passive Lean Can Tame Lumber Chaos Edmond Lim, P.Eng. On a recent sailing expedition, I could not help but marvel at how a floating breakwater is a passive lean solution used to tame chaotic waves similar to how the Enventek Lumber PickLine tames the chaos in material handling. Both solutions are strategically designed to be simple, cost effective,... Read More September 2025 Issue #17314 Page 40
“OBBB” and “AII” Inspiration to Feed the Beast! Edmond Lim, P.Eng. Both the US’ One Big Beautiful Bill Section 179 and Canada’s Accelerated Investment Incentive are designed to stimulate economic growth by encouraging businesses to invest in new equipment and technology by providing upfront tax relief. How’s that for Inspiration to Feed the... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 46
Seven Decades of Construction Innovation Edmond Lim, P.Eng. There has been a lot of attention paid to solving the global housing and affordability crisis. The component manufacturing and modular housing industries have been innovating for over seven decades. Much of the innovation has been successfully commercialized as evident in the annual volume of... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 40
Component Saws Are Messy Eaters! Edmond Lim, P.Eng. When you’ve got five or six 20” to 32” blades chewing through lumber simultaneously at even just 18 pieces a minute, you’re not just making a lot of truss parts—you’re creating a full-blown localized dust storm. So what do you do when you’ve got to... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 44
Giant Kanban! Edmond Lim, P.Eng. Kanban systems are designed for “just in time” workflow to optimize production efficiency and inventory levels. The Enventek Lumber PickLine is essentially a “Giant Kanban System” designed to improve lumber handing and to efficiently cull lumber away from the saws. Did... Read More April 2025 Issue #17309 Page 46
Gear Up for Winter Work Just Like Winter Sports! Edmond Lim, P.Eng. This winter season has been marked by severe weather conditions, including bitterly persistent cold and heavy snowfall. Thankfully, we’ve continued to install outdoor Lumber PickLines, which is a testament to the robustness and operational effectiveness of Enventek’s forklift... Read More March 2025 Issue #17308
Joint Detailing for Accurate Plate Placement Edmond Lim, P.Eng. Good joint detailing at the design stage can help truss builders accurately position truss plates, including the back plate which is essentially positioned “blindly.” Laser projection is excellent for positioning the top face plate, however, it is subject to the same limitations for... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 48
The Art of a Lumber PickLine Edmond Lim, P.Eng. Of course, if you’re starting a truss plant from the ground up, it’s a snap to include an Enventek Lumber PickLine in your plans. The real beauty of the Lumber PickLine, however, is that it can be easily configured for existing truss plants – whether inside the plant or outside... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 46
Inspiration for Automation in 2025 Edmond Lim, P.Eng. After the wonderful success that was BCMC 2024, I decided to take a quick holiday…to Japan! Having never visited that fascinating country before, I was excited to see what I might find. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] While waiting in line for the Ubako and Owakudani... Read More December 2024 Issue #16305 Page 48