For years, component manufacturers have faced a classic operational dilemma: choose the high-volume speed of traditional batch cutting on component saws or opt for the simplified material flow of cut-by-truss on linear saws. Because linear saws could “stretch”/optimize lumber, this encouraged many plants to simplify material feeding by staging just four to six bunks of 14‑ to 20‑foot stock directly beside the saw. The trade‑off was downstream complexity in this effort to minimize waste: this lumber “stretching”/optimized cutting produced a mixed, out‑of‑sequence outfeed that had to be manually “de‑scrambled” by the sawyer. Without that step, valuable time would be lost at the tables, sorting through optimized cut pieces. This operational reality helped drive the shift toward inefficient “mini‑batch” processing associated with “cut‑by‑truss” workflows on linear saws. Linear saws struggle to match the sheer throughput of multi-blade component saws on long runs.
The RetroC bridged this gap by introducing Symmetrical Batch Mode, a specialized sawing scheme designed to execute cut-by-truss manufacturing at component-saw velocity for varied roof-truss packages. This includes long runs and is especially good on complex jobs like hip roofs paired with cathedral ceilings. [For all photos and images, See PDF or View in Full Issue.]
The first photo shows the unique design elements of the RetroC compared to other component saws and linear saws that facilitates symmetrical batching:
- Sawyer stays on the left fixed end of the saw
- Lumber is auto-fed into the saw by optional Lumber PickLine or by traditional forklift
- Precision lumber stop/end trimming on the left fixed end
- No upper lumber hold-downs
- Electronic blade braking is fast and significantly reduces maintenance
- Only 15 axes of automation
- Optional SpeedCatch auto-fill cart lumber sorting system (shown in the background)
- RetroC Symmetrical Batch Mode is high velocity cut-by-truss at volume.
Zooming in, the second photo shows off the RetroC’s signature “no upper hold-downs” in feed, which eliminates at least four unnecessary axes of mechanics and automation along with fast electronic blade braking for high reliability.
The third photo shows precision end trimming feathering the end of the boards and the RetroC’s lumber clamping, which enables the auto-feeding of lumber just like a linear saw.
The Symmetrical Batching Scheme Unique to the RetroC
As an auto‑feeding component saw, the RetroC sets up so fast that it could also operate in a cut‑by‑truss mode. However, the real power of the RetroC is in the sophisticated batching software that enables the RetroC to outperform linear saws by batching complete roof‑truss packages — even where every truss is different, such as hip roofs with cathedral ceilings. The key challenge is logistical: how to feed the complex mix of lumber required for cut‑by‑truss, and how to collate the cut pieces so they arrive at the build stations in an organized, build‑ready sequence — without manual de‑scrambling behind the RetroC.
This need led to Enventek’s development of the Lumber PickLine and SpeedCatch auto‑fill carts: an integrated plant material‑handling and sawing system designed to efficiently supply multiple truss lines with just one to two workers. Sophisticated software was developed for “Symmetrical Batch Mode” to orchestrate the process from picking lumber to collating cut lumber into the SpeedCatch carts to speed up truss building.
The top photo shows the RetroC sawyer work area on the left fixed end of the saw, which is safer and less physically demanding. The lumber on the deck is an example of a “symmetrical batch scheme” for multiple truss setups within the same batch. Also note how lumber “shorts” (usually 2 ft to 4 ft) are located behind the sawyer for the sawyer to place on the front deck to lessen the load on the lumber picker.
The next photo shows a single cut-by-truss scheme. The RetroC gains efficiency and volume by batching multiple trusses in larger batches, just like how the trusses are scheduled to be built on the same jig, which eliminates the inefficiency of mini-batches on linear saws to literally cut one truss at a time.
How Symmetrical Batch Works
Driven by PlantOne’s dedicated plant optimization software displaying truss details over each truss jig, Symmetrical Batching consolidates what would typically be eight separate mini-batches on a linear saw into a single, continuous run.
Rather than processing each truss style sequentially or requiring manual de-scrambling at the outfeed, the software coordinates the picking, feeding, and cutting of the raw lumber while pairing a series of outfeed carts. Carts are paired behind the saw — for example, pairing Carts A1 & A2, B1 & B2, and C1 & C2 — to be separated at the truss build tables to the “left and right” of jig.
The image is the Symmetrical Batch of three unique trusses; T3A31 Qty 2, T3A32 Qty 5, and T3A33 Qty 1. A batch of trusses that would have been cut on a linear saw in eight separate mini-batches is done by the RetroC in one batch with no catching labor.
To execute this job, SpeedCatch carts A1, B1, C1, C2, B2 and A2 were positioned in front of the truss build table. A1 and A2, B1 and B2, C1 and C2 were paired behind the RetroC at the time of cutting.
The top image shows the PlantOne detail of Truss T3A2 Qty 5 displayed above the truss build table color coded to the SpeedCatch carts. Carts D1 and D2, and E1 were positioned in front of the truss build table with the additional pieces needed for T3A2.
Then, PlantOne displayed the detail of Truss T3A33 Qty 1 above the truss build table color coded to the SpeedCatch carts. Cart E2 was added for the final pieces needed for T3A33.
PlantOne projection over the truss jig enhances the efficiency of having color coded cut pieces collated in front of the truss build table along with the corresponding carts positioned near each area of deployment.
The RetroC has proven itself to be a standardized, accurate, reliable, high velocity wood processor capable of feeding multiple truss jigs with over 120 installations ranging from forklift-fed RetroCs with manual catching to Fully Loaded RetroCs fed lumber from PickLines with auto-fill SpeedCatch carts or any combination thereof. The RetroC has become the anchor of small, medium, and large truss plants.
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