Thirty years ago, equipment installations looked considerably different. Often, the equipment was installed using the customer’s maintenance staff and even the truss building crew. Working with new crews on a weekly basis, who were skilled in component manufacturing but had limited knowledge of industrial machinery, could test the patience of any installer. There was a lack of proper tools, and in some cases the tools were owned by the maintenance staff themselves. Employees were coming and going all day long, resulting in slow and incomplete installations.
Equipment and installations have changed since the resurgence of housing, making installation and training ever more important. Additionally, expectations of the customer (and ourselves) have continued to change over time. Spida Machinery installs nearly 100% of all of the equipment we manufacture and distribute throughout North America. I’ll tell you, that is no easy task!
Recently, we were able to perform a Roof Truss installation in the northwest that had been delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions. We planned two weeks on site for Spida’s Installation Crew. To give you an idea of the scope of this project, we had 164’ of roof truss table, 350’ of conveyor, 3 gantries, and 2 finish rollers to install. This required 6 team members for 1 week, followed by 2 team members the second week for training, tidy up, and review. We sent 4 trailer loads of machinery and equipment.
Day 1: Our team completely set up and leveled the 164’ of tables. Even in the best of scenarios, this was nearly impossible to accomplish a decade ago.
Day 2: While still working on the tables, we were able to continue to progress down the line. The electricians were able to begin laying conduit and wires for the automated jigging. The plumbers could begin laying pipe to connect the air source to our Intelligent Tables.
I should mention here – Spida Machinery integrates technology into the tables in the factory where we are able to minimize the field work. The Table Ejectors come with a pre-mounted air reservoir, and air solenoids pre-mounted and plumbed, leaving the final assembly to occur on site. In the past, systems were not designed to prevent Table Ejectors from being run over by the gantry. Spida Machinery not only allows the gantry operator to control which ejectors and zones should be raised but also prevents the Table Ejectors from functioning if not working or damaged. With safety uppermost in mind and utilizing the latest in Wi-Fi technology, the gantry operator – with an aerial view – is able to control nearly all aspects of the equipment.
Day 3: The Table Ejectors were wired and plumbed, and the 350’ of pre-assembled conveyors had made their way to the proper location and were ready for the electricians.
Day 4: The crew began setting the heavier machines, setting the two Spida Machinery Finish Rollers and three Intelligent Gantries and finally the additional conveyor outside. At the end of day 4, two staff members remained on site for the final day to finish up a few loose ends and minor adjustments.
Yes, I may be bragging a little, but to the greater point about machinery designed and installed by Spida Machinery: Organizations like ours exist solely on the equipment we manufacture – we design, build, often customize, and install some of the best purpose-built machinery in the world with the customer’s end goal in mind. Our staff is highly skilled and trained – and, not only are they mechanics, they are electricians, engineers, and even programmers. Why? Because that is what it takes to keep our customers competitive and always ahead of the game.